A MAN who raped a woman he met through Facebook has been jailed for six years.

Jason Levins, 25, assaulted the 20-year-old at a house during a booze -fuelled party.

Levins, sat in the dock at Basildon Crown Court on Tuesday with his head bowed as the sentence was passed down by Judge Ian Graham.

He was convicted of rape following a trial in November.

During the trial he was also found guilty of groping a 21-year-old woman at Jumpin’ Jaks nightclub, in the Festival Leisure Park, Basildon on March 6, in a separate incident.

The court heard how Levins, who ran his own party bus firm Shuttle Club, met the victim and her friend through Facebook.

He had been invited to a party being hosted by the victim’s friend in Tilbury on May 4, last year.

Levins, of Church Lane, Purfleet, took alcohol to the house party and began pouring drinks for both women.

The victim was not used to drinking and had to be put in the shower to recover, before being put to bed.

Levins then raped her while the other woman was downstairs.

In mitigating, Levins’ defence counsel told the court Levins was still “struggling to come to terms” with he death of his young daughter, who died in “horrific circumstances”.

Levins’ 19-month-old daughter died in 2005, after suffering head injuries at her home in South Ockendon.

She was not living with Levins at the time but with her mother - Levins’s former partner - and her new boyfriend.

Throughout the trial Levins, who has another daughter, said the victim had consented to sex, however in the end the jury did not believe him.

Judge Graham told Levins, who had a previous conviction for harassment, the reasons why only he and the women had been at the party has never been made “entirely clear”.

However he said: “It was clear a substantial amount of drinking took place. The fact you knew she (the victim) was affected by alcohol is an aggravating feature.

“You had provided her with, and to a certain extent plied her, with it.”

The court was told Levins had aspirations to be an “entrepreneur” and had completed numerous courses while on remand in prison in order to better himself.

Judge Graham added: “I have read reference by people who knew you very well, all who have spoken highly of you. “ Levins was given six years for rape and a total of three years and three months for lesser sexual offence charges. All jail terms will run concurrently.