Man jailed for rape of child he met on Snapchat

Joshua Emery was found guilty in June this year

A man who raped a girl he met on the Snapchat app has been jailed for seven years.

Joshua Emery, 25, from Cannock, was convicted of raping the girl, who he said he believed was aged 16 or older, in August 2022, Staffordshire Police said.

Stafford Crown Court heard how he raped the teenager, who he exchanged messages with on the social media platform, near Essington Pools, the force added.

Specialist officers traced Emery, who had denied rape, through a taxi booking he made to the location, police said.

He was arrested in the following days and his devices and clothing were seized.

Emery was found guilty in June this year and jailed on Monday.

He has also been placed on the sex offenders register for life and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £228 upon his release.

Following sentencing, Det Con Hayley Cave, from the force's child protection and exploitation unit, said it was "a harrowing case of an extremely serious sexual offence involving a child".