A man who raped a 12-year-old girl in Edinburgh has been jailed for five years and four months today.
Balwinder Singh, 54, raped the girl at a house in Edinburgh in 2016, resulting in a pregnancy, the court was told.
Singh was brought back to Scotland to face justice after being found by police in Canada.
The child was taken to see a doctor by her mother after complaining of stomach pains and was found to be in the advanced stages of pregnancy.
Advocate depute Isla Davie QC told the High Court in Edinburgh during Singh's trial: "At this time the mother made it clear to the GP that the girl did not wish to continue with the pregnancy."
Scans were carried out on the child and it was discovered that her conception date was around mid June.
Miss Davie said it was then explained to the girl and her mother that due to how far along she was with the pregnancy a termination could not be carried out and she would have to continue to give birth.
The girls went into labour early, which was complicated because of her age and naivety, the court was told.
The baby was fostered after birth and later adopted, said the advocate depute.
Singh was placed on the sex offenders' register in June after he pled guilty, and was today sentenced to five years and fourth months in prison.
His sentence would have been greater had it not been for his early plea, the judge told Singh.
An NSPCC Scotland spokesperson said: “Singh preyed on the naivety and vulnerability of a young girl and then attempted to avoid the consequences of those horrendous actions.
“Thanks to her bravery in reliving this ordeal, he has now been brought to justice and it’s crucial that the victim receives ongoing support to recover.”
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The judge, Lady Scott, told Singh that the birth had caused the girl "considerable distress".
Lady Scott said a background report showed Singh had appeared to blame the girl.
The judge added: "There is no suggestion of grooming and, in addition, I take into account that you have pled guilty at an early stage and that you have no prior sexual offending and no relevant record."
