Met Police
The victim told police he had been raped almost every day the pair played together iStock

An 11-year-old boy has become one of Britain's youngest convicted rapists after he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a nine-year-old boy multiple times.

He raped the younger child on 15 occasions and was caught when the victim's mother heard suspicious noises over a baby monitor in his bedroom, a court heard.

The boy, from the North Shore area of Blackpool, also sexually assaulted a seven-year-old boy and a disabled boy aged 11 while on bail for the rapes.

The youngster, now aged 12, was himself previously the victim of sexual abuse, the Daily Mail reported.

He pleaded guilty to one charge of raping the same boy 15 times and three charges of sexual touching, with the offences taking place between April last year and last month (August) in the seaside resort of Blackpool.

Prosecutor Kerry Grieve said that on 29 May this year the defendant was playing with a boy in his bedroom when the younger child's mother heard whispering over the baby monitor.

She walked into the bedroom to find her nine-year-old son on the floor being raped by the defendant.

The boy said to the shocked mother, "I am sorry, I don't know why I did it," a hearing at Blackpool Magistrates' Court on Monday (26 September) was told.

The victim told police the defendant had raped him almost every day they played together and was told to keep it a secret.

The defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was also found to have sexually touched another boy aged seven over his clothing. Inquiries revealed he then twice sexually touched a disabled 11-year-old boy over his trousers while on police bail, with the victim saying he had been given a toy sword by the defendant as a present afterwards.

He stood in the dock next to a security officer as he admitted the crimes.

Prosecutor Grieve said: "He has been assessed as at a high risk of joining in further sexual behaviour. He used some grooming of the other boys. The Crown would say a custodial sentence is appropriate in this case."

Brett Chappell, defending, described the case as tragic and revealed his client had himself been a victim of sex abuse some years ago.

The defendant had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and had shown shame and remorse, the barrister added. Chappell said his client recognised he needed help and would work at addressing his problems.

The boy will appear for sentencing at Preston Crown Court at a later date.

UK crime