Travis Webster will spend more than a year behind bars after he was sentenced for three counts of sexual intercourse with a person between the age of 10 and 14.

Webster, who was 20 at the time of the offences, pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced in Armidale District Court last Wednesday.

The 21-year-old was supported in court by family members, who brought in a suit for him to change into once he stepped off the prison truck.

He has been in custody since his arrest last year, after the victim’s mother reported the abuse to Tenterfield police.

The court heard the pair met through the victim’s cousin, and continued a relationship online before meeting up at the cousin’s home.

Webster had sex with the teenager three times while her cousin’s parents were away, the court heard.

Judge Jennifer English said the pair sent one another messages via text, Facebook and social media mobile app Snapchat.

More than 2300 text messages were exchanged between Webster and the victim between December 2014 and March 2015.

Ms English said Webster took advantage of his teenage victim, who believed the pair were in a relationship.

“Sadly for this young girl ... he did not consider himself to be in a relationship with her,” she said.

“The offender knew full well what he was doing was wrong.”

Ms English said Webster’s behaviour would continue to have adverse effects on his victim, saying it might impact her ability to trust men and her relationship with children if she decided to become a mother.

“The age of consent is age 16 and for good reason,” she said.

In a victim impact statement, the teenager said she had suffered significantly and is undergoing sexual abuse counselling.

Webster was sentenced to three years and two months in prison, with the term backdated to his arrest and he will be eligible for release in March, 2017.