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A British woman is being booted out of the US after having sex with a 14-year-old boy - who paid her to help him lose his virginity.

Sarah McGill had been facing up to 15 years behind bars, but was instead given five years' probation and ordered to leave America immediately.

The ruling came after she was found guilty of lewd or lascivious battery - - known as statutory rape in the UK.

As the probation was terminated upon her leaving the US, her sentence was effectively deportation.

The sweetheart deal with prosecutors means that the the 28-year-old hypnotherapist, from Galashiels, Selkirkshire, could be back in Scotland as soon as today, though her travel plans are unclear.

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McGill's case was unexpectedly resolved on Wednesday, three days after details of her police interviews were published in which she said she felt "terrible" the boy was underage.

She had denied lewd or lascivious battery - which is similar to statutory rape in the UK - and was due to stand trial next month.

But the prospect of a long jail term left her "scared", she said in a police interview, and prosecutors were apparently willing to cut her a deal.

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McGill had been due to appear before Judge Marc Lubet at the Orange County courthouse in Orlando, Florida, for a pre-trial conference on Wednesday but instead she was sentenced later that day.

Julio Semino, court support manager for the Ninth Judicial Circuit, said in an email: "Ms. Mcgill received 5 years sex offender probation. She was adjudicated guilty as a sex offender.

"Her passport was ordered to be returned to her and she was directed to immediately leave the country. Her probation is to terminate upon her leaving the US."

Under Florida law, when a person is adjudicated guilty by a judge they are convicted of the crime.

A note in the court calendar says: "Court designates the defendant a sex offender'.

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McGill had been arrested on April 6 after having sex with the 14-year-old in a Courtyard Marriott in Orlando.

The victim had found her profile on Quora.com which listed her under the name ‘Sophie Belle’ and texted her to set up the liaison for which he paid her $480 (£340).

The incident came to light when the boy's father found out what he had done and went back to the hotel where he called the police.

It later emerged that the boy had lost his virginity to McGill when they slept together.

The arrest shone a light on McGill's bizarre double life as she claimed to be a hypnotherapist with an office in Edinburgh.

In her police interview McGill admitted she had been travelling alone across the US - visiting San Francisco, New Jersey, San Diego and Tampa before Orlando - but claimed she was sightseeing.

When it was put to her that she is a prostitute who is paid hundreds of dollars an hour to sleep with men, she said "there is truth in that".

McGill sobbed during the two hour interview and said that "I swear I didn't know" the boy was under 18.

(Image: Internet Unknown)

She said: "We didn't just talk. He wanted to touch me. We were talking and one thing led to another. That was it. I wish that I never took him upstairs. I feel like such an idiot."

McGill added in her thick Scottish accent that she "didn't come here to do anything wrong".

Through tears she said: "Whatever happened, I never had any ill intention. I'm just a very down-to-earth, normal person.

"I've never been in handcuffs or anything like that so it's scary for me. I think I should leave the country and I think I should be told off. I don't want to go to jail. I'm really scared."

(Image: Internet Unknown)

In his police interview the victim said he felt "guilty" about sleeping with McGill and said that he only wanted to "spice up" his sex life because he was still a virgin and felt under peer pressure to do it.

The boy said that he gave McGill the money as a "donation" and that he wore a condom.

McGill avoided a jail term in the custody of the Florida Department of Corrections which is underfunded and in a permanent crisis.

Florida has long been seen as one of the most dangerous prison systems in the US for inmate violence, use of force by staff and lack of healthcare.

McGill’s lawyer Donald Lykkebak did not respond to requests for comment.