A child rapist who locked a schoolgirl in his flat and forced her to perform a sex act has been told his 10-year jail term was not a day too long.

Majd Al-Foqahaa, 21, groomed the girl on Snapchat, telling her she was "beautiful" and that it "didn't matter" she was aged just 12.

After enticing her to his home, Al-Foqahaa became violent and locked the door of the flat from the inside so she could not escape.

The girl, who was made to perform oral sex on him, was so traumatised that she took an overdose as soon as she got home after he released her.

Al-Foqahaa, of Harrow Road, Brent , was locked up for 10 years, with a one-year extended licence period, at Harrow Crown Court in January.

Today's hearing took place at the Court of Appeal (Photo - NIKLAS HALLE'N/AFP/Getty Images)

He pleaded guilty to raping a child under the age of 13.

Today (Tuesday, September 25) at London's Criminal Appeal Court, he asked Mr Justice William Davis to cut that sentence, claiming he was treated too harshly.

The court heard Al-Foqahaa was well aware of the victim's age from an early stage, but told her it didn't matter and "said that she was his girlfriend".

Describing Al-Foqahaa as "an immature boy", his barrister pleaded for a shorter sentence.

"This was a young man trying to score notches on his bedpost, but not raping in the conventional way," it was argued.

But, throwing out his challenge, Mr Justice Davis said Al-Foqahaa "had a poor attitude to women" and "posed a significant risk to young women".

"We see nothing at all in this application for permission to appeal against sentence, and it is refused," the judge concluded.