A TEENAGER admitted having underage sex with a 12-year-old schoolgirl.

At the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday Alexandru Covaci, from Govanhill, admitted committing the offence on November 15, 2018, at a flat in Glasgow.

He was originally charged with raping the girl, but the Crown accepted his plea to the reduced charge of having under age sex with her.

Covaci, who was born in Romania, but moved to Glasgow as a child, also admitted failing to turn up for a hearing at the High Court of Glasgow on October 18, 2019.

Prosecutor Bernard Ablett said: “The pair met in Govanhill Park and then spoke on Facebook. They arranged to meet and had sex. “

The court heard that at the time the girl’s parents had reported her missing and she claimed she had been raped.

Mr Ablett:“There was DNA evidence that sex had taken place.

“The accused told the police he had known her for three weeks and they were girlfriend and boyfriend.”

At the time of the offence Covaci was 16.

Judge Lady Stacey said: “You have pled guilty to a serious charge and I need to get a report from a social worker before I decide on sentence. I am going to continue this until January 6, 2021. You will remain in Polmont until then.”

Lady Stacey placed Covaci on the sex offenders’ register.

Defence counsel John McElroy will give his plea in mitigation then.