Man Thought Girl Was 22 Years Old; Found Out She Was 12 After Sexual Intercourse

Online dating can be tricky.

The sweet lady you’re talking to might have a penchant for punching dogs.

That interesting 20-year-old man you’re chatting with might have been 20 in the 1920s.

And the 22-year-old girl you fell in love with online might turn out to be 12.

One of these scenarios actually happened.

Phishing for love

One man from Shanghai, China flew to Hong Kong to visit a girl he met online. Unfortunately, she wasn’t quite who she claimed to be.

Lu Wei, a 28-year-old man, met the girl while playing an online game in 2018.

The girl initially told Lu that she was 22 and he had no reason to doubt her because internet users are known for their honesty.

They gradually developed a romantic relationship over the instant messaging app, WeChat, according to the South China Morning Post.

The Fateful Meet Up

The pair finally met in December 2018, when Lu flew to Hong Kong to see her.

Upon his arrival, the girl admitted that she was actually 18 years old.

Lu accepted this, and they had sex on the 22nd and the day after at the Regal Oriental Hotel in Kowloon City, where Lu was staying.

But on the 24th December, when she sent him off to the airport, the girl revealed that she was actually only 12.

I’m sure Lu was astonished at this discovery.

Lu claimed the girl looked older than her age, but can he really not tell the difference between a 12-year-old and a 22-year-old?

Punishment

The 28-year-old man was sentenced to 10 months in jail after pleading guilty to two counts of unlawful sex with a girl under 13.

Judge Katherine Lo Kit-yee said she accepted Lu’s genuine remorse after listening to his explanation.

“The defendant could have absconded and avoided the legal consequences, but he did not”.

Despite having already bought a ticket home, Lu, who described himself as a “law-abiding citizen”, decided to stay back in Hong Kong and accept his punishment.

The judge added that Lu’s actions showed he genuinely loved the girl before finding out her real age and had never wanted to exploit the underage girl.

Unlucky In Love

According to the South China Morning Post, Lu had been unsuccessful in his previous relationships.

All his girlfriends ended up leaving because of his meagre salary or his long working hours.

While one can see how Lu’s lack of a love life may have made him desperate for romance, it’s hard to believe that he didn’t know she was underage.

As I said, online dating can be tricky.