James William Glendinning appeared at Chester Crown Court to be sentenced for two counts of sexual activity with a child on November 3.
Glendinning, 22, pleaded guilty to both charges at a plea and case management hearing on February 25.

The Recorder of Chester, Judge Elgan Edwards, described the case as "unusual" several times throughout the hearing before he sentenced Glendinning to 12 months in custody, suspended for two years.

Peter Frost, prosecuting, said Glendinning met the girl through the social networking site Bebo, before they began corresponding with each other via MSN. They also exchanged text messages and letters.

Mr Frost said: "When they first made contact she said she was 17 and was a hairdresser. She thought if the defendant knew her true age he wouldn't be interested.

"After the initial meeting she maintained she was 17 and he believed she was. At that stage there was no reason why he should not believe she was 17."

The court heard they arranged to meet in Manchester on October 13 and the girl told her parents she was staying with a friend. They met up and agreed to travel back to the North East of England. Glendinning still thought the girl was 17.

Mr Frost said there was sexual activity on the train journey to Newcastle, but no further action was taken by the prosecution about the incident.

"It was only when they arrived in Newcastle that things changed," said Mr Frost.

"She turned on her mobile phone and was bombarded with text messages from her parents, friends and Cheshire police. He insisted she telephone her parents to put their mind at rest and by now it was clear she was only 13.

"She told him and apologised for misleading him. After that he behaved properly towards her and sought to reunite her with her parents."

Glendinning, of Priestlands Avenue, Hexham, Northumberland, left the girl with the police and had no further contact with her, but she began to send him messages and he eventually responded.

On November 3 they decided to meet up again and Glendinning drove to Chester.

Mr Frost said: "They met near the racecourse and he described it as the biggest risk he had ever taken. They spent the day together and went to the cinema and had a meal.

"There was a mutual decision to engage in sexual activity and they went in the car to the site of a disused supermarket on Sealand Road."

Sexual activity took place in the car park.

The pair kept in contact after Glendinning returned to the North East until the girl's parents became aware of the situation and contacted police.

Glendinning was arrested on November 13 and officers seized two mobile phones that contained text and messages and photographs from the girl.

James Cullen, defending, said Glendinning was of previous good character and had no previous convictions. He described his client as shy and lacking in confidence.

The court heard Glendinning now lived with his grandparents and had been shunned by his mother as a result of the criminal proceedings.

Mr Cullen said: "This was a young child who was clearly much more mature than her age in terms of her conduct, and even though he needs to be punished he was very easily led. To a large extent he was pursued by her.

"He has stated he is genuinely sorry and would like to apologise in open court to her and her family."

Judge Edwards said Glendinning had only had one other relationship with a woman who misled him and said she was dying. He also thought he was in love with the 13-year-old girl at the time of the offence.

As he passed the sentence, Judge Edwards said: "You have been remarkably candid in your honesty and frankness with the police.

"It is, however, a very serious matter because even though you behaved in a proper manner at first, you succumbed to your feelings and behaved in a totally unacceptable way. You are 22 and she was 13 and 13-year-old girls have to be protected from themselves.

"You have problems yourself and are a shy young man, mainly because of your background. I accept in this case there are some extremely unusual circumstances and they are exceptional circumstances in my judgement."

Glendinning was placed on a supervision order for the duration of the suspended sentence, was ordered to attend the Sex Offenders Treatment Programme and signed the Sex Offenders Register. He was also disqualified from working with children.