Disgraced teacher jailed for sending teen ‘hotel sex’ messages

Thursday 22 August 2019

A former teacher has been jailed for inviting a sixth former to a hotel to have sex with him in a series of explicit Facebook messages saying he thought she was “smoking hot” and calling her “baby girl".

Now a registered sex offender, the man yesterday appeared in the Magistrate’s Court where he was ordered to six months' imprisonment after pleading guilty to sending the messages – a violation described as “a very serious breach of trust.”

The offender - whom Express has chosen not to name to protect the identity of the victim - admitted that he intentionally encouraged “sexual activity” from the girl while he was “in a position of trust.” 

The girl, who made a complaint about the messages to another adult, said that she found the man’s advances “to be inappropriate and awkward.”

Pictured: The man admitted that he incited "sexual activity" from the girl through the messages he sent to her.

Legal Adviser Lauren Hallam, appearing for the prosecution, explained that the man used Facebook Messenger to contact the girl. Sometimes he appeared to proposition the girl, saying, "tonight, Royal Yacht jacuzzi room” and then backtracking, saying that the “message was meant for bae [his girlfriend].”

However, the man then persisted, asking her: “Fancy a night in a hotel?” 

He also sent her messages saying, “maybe one day we could do fun stuff,” “if you’re keen let me know, baby.” In others, he asked if they could “make love” and sent another text asking the teenager: “Can we get together and f**k one day?”

He also told her he thought she was “smoking hot” and referred to her as “baby girl.” 

Advocate Matthew Jowitt, representing the ex-teacher, emphasised that the girl was “above the age of sexual consent” and that his client’s “wrongdoing” was “not simply that he propositioned her", but that he was also a teacher.

The defence lawyer continued, explaining that the “texts [were] sent in drunkenness and swiftly regretted when sober.”

Pictured: The case was heard in the Magistrate's Court.

Emphasising that the suggestions made in the messages were “not followed through by actively pursuing a physical encounter”, Advocate Jowitt invited the Court to impose a 12-month probation order for the offence and for his client to only stay on the Sex Offenders’ Register for the same period of time. 

Relief Magistrate Sarah Fitz, presiding, first noted areas to the man’s credit – namely that he entered an early guilty plea, his letter of remorse and the fact he has no previous convictions of this nature.

However, she remarked that “teachers are at the forefront of safeguarding” and the fact the man has “struggled with alcohol problems” is rather a point against him than in his favour when it comes to sentencing.

The Relief Magistrate observed that the offending “had quite a significant impact” on the victim.

Pictured: The disgraced ex-teacher was jailed for the messages which were deemed a "very serious breach of trust."

She went on to note that, while discussing questions about the messaging raised by a third party, the man had written: “This is dangerous, but I love danger."

The Relief Magistrate in particular expressed “concerns about what could have happened” if the girl had agreed to meet the former teacher and acknowledged the “significant age gap” between the two of them.

“I do consider this is a very serious matter… when parents send their children [to school], it’s vital that proper boundaries are respected.”

Relief Magistrate Fitz subsequently jailed the man for six months and decided that he should stay on the Sex Offenders’ Register for a minimum period of five years.

She also imposed a five-year restraining order to prevent the man from having any contact with the girl.