A teenage student has been jailed for raping a 14-year-old schoolgirl he met at East Croydon railway station.

Karam Majdi, 19, was convicted at Brighton Crown Court on May 31 and sentenced to seven years in prison following the incident last November.

He met the victim - now 15 - at the station before going to a nearby hostel where he raped her.

Detective Constable Stewart Cameron, of the Brighton Safeguarding Investigations Unit, said: “As soon as we were told of this incident enquiries began and soon Majdi was identified through social media and other information.

“He had contrived a meeting with the girl and her friends, and took advantage of her youth and vulnerability to ruthlessly exploit for his own sexual gratification.

“She has been very brave and shown immense courage to get through this and should feel very proud of what she has done.”

DC Cameron, of Sussex Police, believes young girls are now ‘much safer’ because Majdi is ‘off the streets’.

The 19-year-old, from Seafield Road in Hove at the time, was also accused of raping another girl, 15, who was there at the time of the incident last year.

He denied this and was later found not guilty of the offence at Brighton Crown Court during a six-day trial.

Majdi was handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to last until further notice from the court, which ‘severely restricts’ his access to young girls and computers.

He will also be a registered sex offender for life.

The victim’s mum said: “This incident has put an almighty strain on the family and has impacted on us all.

“What happened to our daughter was awful and sickening and something no child should go through, or a parent to have to deal with.”