A 23-YEAR-OLD man who groomed and sexually assaulted a child he met in Heaton Park has been sentenced.

Zain Shah, of Rothsay Road, Blackley, sexually assaulted the 12-year-old asian girl in a car park in Prestwich several times last September after first befriending her in Heaton Park last August.

Despite knowing she was 12 he texted and rung her daily, telling her that he loved her and wanted to marry and have sex with her.

Shah also pretended to be an undercover police officer who had been shot in the line of duty to win the trust of his victim.

After pleading guilty at an earlier hearing, he was handed a three year community punishment order at Manchester Crown Court today.

The order requires Shah to attend a sexual offending treatment programme.

He is also banned from contacting or attempting to contact any female under the age of 16 for three years and will be on the Sexual Offender register for five years.

Detective Sergeant Alex Wild said: “This was a classic grooming case, with Shah using emotionally charged language to suggest to this young girl that they were in a real, normal and healthy relationship.

“Of course, that is absolutely absurd.

“The reality is a 23-year-old man manipulated a child in order to get what he wanted, even pretending to be an undercover police officer who had been shot in the line of duty in order to win her confidence and sympathy."

The court heard how Shah met the girl in the car park of the Sainsbury’s supermarket in Heaton Park Road, Prestwich several times early last September, kissing the victim and sexually assaulting her as she tried to push him away.

When the victim’s mother discovered what Shah had done she immediately reported him to the police.

Det Sgt Wild added: "We hope that this case demonstrates that we take these incidents very seriously indeed, regardless of ethnicity, of religion or any other factors.

“Abuse is abuse and I want to try an assure the public that we will punish those people who exploit young people and do our best to make sure they face justice for their crimes.”

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is working with partners across the region on Project Phoenix, a plan to tackle child grooming and sexual exploitation.

For more information on the ‘It’s Not Okay’ campaign, which provides information on how to spot the signs of child sex exploitation and what to do about it, go to itsnotokay.co.uk