Jason Allan De Ruwe awaits sentencing for maintaining an unlawful sexual relationship with a child

The 49-year-old met their teenage victim in a part of town in which his lawyer said “not a lot of good things happen”.

A grandfather will be sentenced next month after he groomed a young girl he met on Hindley Street.

Jason Allan De Ruwe, 49, did not look up once as he sat in the dock in the Adelaide District Court on Thursday, after pleading guilty to a number of charges including maintaining an unlawful sexual relationship with a child and selling a controlled drug to a child.

The court heard De Ruwe was approached by his victim on Hindley street who asked him if he “had any weed” back in 2016.

Jason De Ruwe will be sentenced next month. Picture: Facebook

“Not a lot of good things happen in these places (Hindley Street), this kind of thing is very regular,” Con O’Neill, defence counsel for De Ruwe submitted to the court.

“He gave her his contact details and she called him after that, she told him she was 17, he believed it … she looked sophisticated to him.”

The court heard the pair stayed in regular contact and several months had gone by before the unlawful sexual relationship began.

“They had sex, she wanted to see him, he wanted to see her,” Mr O’Neill submitted.

“He found out she was actually 14 but continued to have sex with her and continued to supply her cannabis … he should have had the sense to say no.”

The relationship continued for just under two years with prosecution submitting the 49-year-old was grooming his young victim with cannabis and other items throughout the relationship.

But it was in July of 2017, the victim began to notice De Ruwe became “possessive” over her, prompting her to ultimately cut ties.

“She began another relationship with a boy from her school, similar to her own age,” said the prosecutor.

“She attempted to stop contact, the accused continued to make contact with her.

“It was then she disclosed the relationship to lifeline and the accused was arrested.”

De Ruwe will return to court next month.