A 15-year-old girl who claimed to have been raped while jogging in Mt Claremont has now confessed to police that it was a lie.

Police launched a search on Monday for a sexual predator, who the girl claimed was 20 to 30 years of age, fair-skinned with long light brown hair and had an Australian accent.

The girl told police she was jogging along Stephenson Avenue, behind Challenge Stadium, just before 6pm when she was grabbed from behind and pulled into bushes.

The rape was reportedly short-lived and the girl then ran home to her mother, who called police.

Police appeared hesitant about the claims but still issued a description to the media, which included that the assailant wore "long dark pants and a dark hooded jacket".