PORTLAND (AP) – A 27-year-old Raymond man was sentenced to three years in prison for his relationship with an underage girl he met through the social networking Web site called MySpace.com.

Joshua Perry was sentenced Tuesday by Cumberland County Superior Court Justice Donald Marden. Perry was found guilty in December of five charges, including sexual abuse of a minor and furnishing alcohol to a minor.

Perry met the victim, who was 14, in January 2005 on the popular Web site, which allows users to create free profiles and make contacts through e-mail or messaging. The girl lied about her age on the site, saying she was 19. But prosecutors said that Perry continued to have a relationship with her even after he found out her real age.

Tim Zerillo, Perry’s lawyer, said he will appeal the sentence and the guilty verdict.

Cumberland County District Attorney Stephanie Anderson characterized Perry as controlling and abusive, saying he has a history of furnishing drugs and alcohol to girls, some of whom were minors.

The victim’s mother said her daughter’s involvement with Perry has had a devastating effect on her daughter.

“They’ll never be the same,” she said of her daughter and others who were involved with Perry. “You need to know that.”

Perry and his parents claimed that he was manipulated and deceived and didn’t intentionally seek out underage girls. “I never have been, and never will be, any type of child predator,” Perry said.

Nationwide, there are increasing reports of teens finding trouble on Internet sites like MySpace, which is the leader of the various networking sites that encourage users to build larger circles of friends.

Police in Middletown, Conn., are investigating reports that as many as seven local girls were sexually assaulted by men in their 20s who contacted them through MySpace pretending to be teenagers. Similar reports have popped up around the country, prompting fears among parents and school officials. Experts believe the worries are greater than the dangers.