A MAN who had sex with a 12-year-old girl sobbed as he was locked up.

Jonathan Coombes, of Honeysuckle Close, Haydon Wick, received a two-year sentence at Swindon Crown Court after admitting two charges of sex with a child.

Coombes met the 12-year-old, who is now 13, on a website last year and spoke to her by text message, email and phone for approximately five months before taking her out - which led to the pair's first sexual experience together.

Upon meeting the girl again, who had always claimed to be 14, Coombes had unprotected sex with her.

Once at school the girl began telling her friends about the activity, at which point they encouraged her to see the school nurse.

Coombes was arrested on January 18, after police were notified.

It was at this point that the former scout admitted to sexual activity with the girl but was claimed to be shocked and stunned when police told him that she was only 12 years old.

Alex Daymond, defending, said: "His reputation will be tarnished for life.

"A statement that particularly sticks out in one's mind is that of a friend who said that she is known to have her own mind and would usually be able to say no to things.

"She planned to have sex with a boy whether it was him or not.

"He blames only himself and has to take the consequences."

Recorder Ian Pringle said that although the courts take these sorts of cases very seriously, Coombes' case was very different in part because the sex was consensual.

He said: "The way in which the Crown has put their case is that you did not groom this girl and what took place was consensual.

"This is a tragedy, you have a very large amount of support and you are thought of extremely highly by many people.

"I hope when you are released you will get your life back on track."

The defence also produced page images of the 12-year-old's Facebook profile, a social networking website, which showed she continued to be dishonest about her age.

Coombes is expected to serve less than a year in a young offenders' institution as he has been in custody for 96 days.

He has had to sign up to the sexual offenders' register where his name will remain for seven years.

Coombes, who has no previous convictions, had planned on going to college in order to become a civil engineer.