A MAN who raped a 15-year-old girl he met at Fremantle train station cried while being sentenced to five years in prison.

Shane John Anderton was aged 26 in June 2010 when he sexually assaulted the 15-year-old girl in bushland.

The girl had been drinking alcohol at a friend’s house when she met Anderton at a train station about 9pm and he told her he could get her some cigarettes.

He sat near the girl on a bus but they did not speak, then they got off at the same stop and walked to his friend’s apartment where she had more alcohol and some cannabis.

She later walked away under the influence of the substances and Anderton followed, taking the girl by the wrist and walking her to the bush area where he raped her.

The father-of-four, who has two young children with his current partner, stood trial in the West Australian District Court charged with three offences, but the jury only convicted him of one count of aggravated sexual penetration without consent.

Judge Laurie Levy said on Friday that it should have been obvious to Anderton that the girl was affected by drugs and alcohol.

He said the girl resisted both physically and verbally, and Anderton had been indifferent about the girl’s age, although he had not displayed predatory behaviour.

Judge Levy said general deterrence and the vulnerability of the victim were significant sentencing factors.

“You did opportunistically take advantage of a young and clearly vulnerable person,” he said.

Anderton covered his face with his hands and wept during the court proceedings.

Judge Levy said Anderton, who has a nine-page criminal record and a history of substance abuse, had not showed contrition or remorse.

He said it would be inappropriate to suspend the sentence despite the submission by Anderton’s lawyer that he had not reoffended in a significant way since the crime and was effectively reformed.

But Judge Levy did acknowledge prison would be difficult for Anderton because he would be away from his young family.

Anderton must serve at least three years behind bars before he can be eligible for parole.