Man cleared of raping girl after they met on Facebook

A man accused of raping a 14 year old girl in his car has been cleared by a jury today at the end of a four day trial.

The girl had claimed that after she sneaked out of her home late at night to meet Facebook friend Jordan Maxwell he drove her to a remote rural location and forced himself on her.

While she was in the 20-year-old’s car she texted her mum saying she was scared – causing the mother to go frantic with worry and start searching even though she had no idea where to find her.

A girl claimed driven to this rural location and raped by a man she met on Facebook

The jury at Gloucester crown took just under two and half hours to find Maxwell not guilty of rape and he was cleared on the judge’s direction of holding the girl prisoner in his car.

After returning their verdicts the jury were told that Maxwell, of Delmont Grove, Uplands, Stroud had committed a contempt of court during the trial when he did not allow himself to be brought from prison to Court on Tuesday of this week – causing a wasted day.

Judge Jamie Tabor QC ruled that Maxwell’s actions were an act of contempt of court and he jailed him for 28 days.

‘You go back to prison tonight and you tell everyone that if you don’t attend court then the judge will lock you up,’ Judge Tabor told Maxwell.

Jordan Maxwell was on trial at Gloucester Crown Court (pictured)

Jordan Maxwell was on trial at Gloucester Crown Court (pictured)

When the prosecutor, Ian Fenny, outlined the case to the jury at the start of the trial, the court heard that the girl barely knew Maxwell but had felt flattered by his interest in her on Facebook and agreed to leave her home late at night to meet him.

Her mum was out at the time and was travelling home from a concert when she got texts from the girl saying she was scared.

Later, when the girl finally got home at 1.30am, she was ‘very distressed’ and told her anxious mum she had been out with a man and smoking cannabis.

She would not say more at that time but when her mum pressed her she claimed Maxwell had forced himself on her.

The mother then immediately called the police, the girl was interviewed and Maxwell was arrested.

Maxwell’s account to the jury, however, was that the girl had told him she was 16 and had willingly gone with him in the car and they had sex with her full consent.

 



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