A BOY has avoided being sent to prison after raping a girl of five.

Neither child can be identified for legal reasons.

The incident happened when the pair were playing the boy's bedroom, when he was aged 12 last August.

Fareham Youth Court heard that the boy, who has learning difficulties, only admitted rape the day before he was due to face trial.

The defence lawyer, Natalie Dennington, told the court the boy had a mental age of seven.

She explained he had not pleaded earlier because he thought it would have "a devastating effect" on his family if he admitted what he had done.

He pleaded guilty after being warned that a full trial would be a much more public affair and that his family could be forced to move home as more people would know.

District Judge Anne Arnold told the boy - who is now aged 13 - he would be given a 12 month youth offender referral, due to his age and circumstances.

He has also been made to sign the sex offenders register.

The girl's mother told the court she now kept her daughter close by at all times.

She said: "I feel I let my daughter down."