A 31-year-old man has admitted raping a 12-year-old Norfolk girl who he met through Facebook.

Robert Fulton, of Southwell Road, Lowestoft, has been warned to expect a 'substantial' prison sentence after pleading guilty to two counts of rape and the sexual assault of a girl he targeted through social media.

Police said the girl, who lives in the Great Yarmouth area, has been left devastated by her ordeal, and is slowly coming to terms with what happened.

Fulton, who pleaded guilty when he appeared at Norwich Crown Court on Monday, posed as a 19-year-old when he used Facebook to contact the victim who he had never met before. She was raped and assaulted by him in the Yarmouth area on December 28 last year.

In court, Recorder Baker told Fulton to expect a 'substantial sentence.'

Speaking after Fulton entered guilty pleas, Yarmouth detective constable Richard Wallis who led the investigation said: 'Fulton posed as a 19-year-old while using social media to contact the victim, who he did not previously know.

He is an extremely manipulative and dangerous individual.

'The victim has been left devastated by her ordeal, she is very vulnerable and is slowly coming to terms with what happened to her.'

Det con Wallis has urged parents not to be afraid of quizzing their children on their use of social media.

'Many parents can feel apprehensive about being too nosey about their children's lives. But they need to adopt prying eyes and become much more mindful of the dangers the online world can bring.

'We take all offences of a sexual nature extremely seriously.

'The constabulary has a number of specially trained officers to deal with such crimes who ensure victims receive care in an empathetic and appropriate manner.'

Fulton has been remanded into custody until December when he is due to appear at Norwich Crown Court to be sentenced on December 6.

nNorfolk and Suffolk Constabularies launched the 'Time to Stop' Rape Campaign in June 2012 to raise awareness of rape and sexual violence. As part of the campaign, a short film entitled 'Look what you did' was produced to highlight the work of the Norfolk's Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC). It tells the stories of three different victims.

The SARC, called the Harbour Centre, operates a 24-hour service for victims of sexual abuse and can be contacted on 0845 456 4810, or call police on 101 to report a crime.

It is a joint venture between Norfolk Constabulary and NHS Norfolk and Waveney that aims to empower victims by allowing them to report their abuse and undergo medical examinations without prompting a police investigation.

For more information visit www.theharbourcentre.co.uk.