Abdul Omarkhil, of Runcorn, used a different photo and name on the gay dating site.

The victim, who used his own photographs, including one of him in his school uniform, was a ‘very young teenager’ but claimed to be 18, and the two started chatting online.

They arranged to meet one evening in October last year. The victim started to get nervous and texted friends to say he was unsure whether to meet the man.

It was getting dark when they met, but as Omarkhil flashed his torch on his face, it was clear he was much older than 18, and not the man that the victim thought he was meeting with.

The victim became frightened and told the 36-year-old that he did not want to have sex with him.

But Omarkhil ignored him and raped the boy. The victim was crying and asking him to stop, but the defendant ignored him.

When Omarkhil eventually left, the victim made his way home, still crying, and contacted a friend to try and make sense of what had happened.

He also contacted a relative who insisted that he should go to the police. They were supportive throughout and went with him to the police station to make the report.

The boy blocked Omarkhil on his phone and removed him from his contacts.

Omarkhil was arrested and taken to a police station, where he was heard to say: “I’m going to prison for a long time.”

However, he denied the offence when he was charged with rape and, at a hearing at Liverpool Crown Court in November, pleaded not guilty.

The case proceeded to trial, where the defendant was found guilty by a jury today, Thursday, by a majority verdict of 10 jurors to two.

Omarkil, of Canal Reach in Runcorn, will be sentenced on Tuesday, April 8.

Alex Morgan, of the Crown Prosecution Service in Cheshire, said: “Omarkhil is a predatory paedophile who was hell-bent on obtaining sexual gratification that night.

“The victim was an adolescent boy, exploring his sexuality, and acting in a way that is in hindsight, perhaps, reckless, going onto an adult dating app and pretending to be older.

"Omarkhil preyed on this child, taking advantage of his immaturity and vulnerability, and demonstrating the very reason why the law is there to protect children from unwanted sexual attention from those who are older, stronger, and more forceful.

“Omarkhil has since shown no remorse at all.

“The Crown Prosecution Service has helped the victim to give his best evidence and supported him throughout what has been a very difficult time.

"We would like to commend his courage and determination to bring his abuser to justice, and we would like to praise the support of his relative too, and his friends.

“We hope this successful prosecution helps the victim and his family to move on from this dreadful incident.”