An “inspirational” teacher has been jailed for having sex with a 17-year-old pupil after booking into a hotel as “Mr and Mrs.”
Drama teacher Christopher Ireson, 39, was sentenced to ten months and banned for life from working with children at Nottingham Crown Court.
Judge Nigel Godsmark QC told him: “This was a relationship for one thing and one thing only – to have full intercourse.
“Reading the texts I am in no doubt this relationship was fuelled by your wish for sexual gratification.
“I make it clear to you and other members of your profession this simply will not be tolerated.”
The girl refused to hand over her phone or help cops investigate the case after their secret came out when she told a pal, the Sunday People reports.
Police seized his phone and found texts he had deleted, said Dawn Pritchard, prosecuting.
Ireson of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, admitted sexual touching of a girl under 18 while in a position of trust and inciting her to engage in sexual activity between November 2013 and May last year.
The girl was in his drama class at school and they began to meet in hotels, “kissing, cuddling and touching him under his clothes.”
Ireson admitted they later had sexual intercourse.
Miss Pritchard added: “The hotel bookings were registered as Mr and Mrs Ireson.”
Patrick Williamson, defending, said: “They talked about the future and they refer to ‘coming out’ to her parents. Clearly they envisaged some permanance.”
A reference described Ireson as a “competent and inspirational teacher” whose 16-year career was now at an end, Mr Williamson told the court.
The pair have split up and the girl is now at university.
-UK Mirror
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