A MAN of 25 was branded a serious risk to young girls as he was jailed for four years for having sex with a missing 14-year-old girl while the police searched for her.

When interviewed by police, Farhaad Ali told officers: "I chat a lot to underage girls on Facebook but I do not cop them off," before refusing to answer any questions.

Yesterday, Ali, of Wheatlands Drive, Manningham, Bradford, was labelled a public danger when he appeared from custody to be sentenced at Bradford Crown Court.

In June, he was cleared by a jury of raping the schoolgirl but found guilty of having sexual intercourse with her on one occasion in the summer of 2013.

His case was adjourned for probation and psychiatric reports.

Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC said the child was compliant when Ali had sex with her on his bed after taking her to the house late at night.

The police were looking for her after her family reported her missing.

When she turned up the next day, she insisted that nothing had happened to her.

But Detective Constable Ellen Battye was suspicious and sent the child's underwear off for forensic analysis. Ali was arrested when his semen stains were found on the crotch of her knickers.

He refused to answer police questions but, in October last year, the girl made a statement revealing that Ali had taken her to his bedroom and had sex with her.

She told officers: "I was scared. I did not know what he was doing."

Prosecutor Stephen Wood told the court Ali's probation officer found him to pose "a serious risk of serious harm to young girls".

In mitigation, Ali's barrister, Howard Cohen, said his client had the love and support of his parents, and his father was present in court to support him.

Ali had first spoken to his victim by chance, when she picked up a call meant for another girl.

"This is not a case of him being a predator. The two met quite by chance," Mr Cohen told the court.

Ali told the trial jury he believed the child was 19, and Mr Cohen said she wore makeup and dressed to appear older.

Ali, of previous good character, suffered from bipolar disorder and his psychiatrist said he would find a long prison sentence very stressful, Mr Cohen said.

Jailing Ali Judge Durham Hall noted that he had not shown remorse.

He told him: "Your victim has suffered inevitable physical and psychological harm and you continue to minimalise your activities."

The judge made Ali subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered that he must sign on the sex offenders' register for life.

Judge Durham Hall also publicly commended Det Con Battye for her work on the investigation.

After the case, Detective Inspector Ben McDonald, of the Bradford District Safeguarding Unit, said: "I would like to thank the victim for her courage and hope the sentence given to Ali will give her some closure and allow her to move forward with her life.

"Detective Constable Battye's excellent work in this case is an example of how thoroughly our specially trained officers investigate these incidents and I hope this will encourage victims of sexual offences, historic or otherwise, to come forward so perpetrators can be brought to justice."