Locations
Heath Hayes, Cannock, WS12 2ZG
Description
A former maths teacher at a Swadlincote high school has been jailed for more than two years after admitting sexually touching underage girls.
Steven Bould had been employed at The Pingle Academy for five months in 2018 and 2019, when he was suspended following concerns over his conduct.
Before this, he spent six years at Nether Stowe School, in Lichfield.
Now the 36-year old has been convicted of nine charges of intentionally sexually touching underage girls.
He was due to be sentenced for his crimes before for October, last year, but this was delayed due to the covid pandemic . Now he was finally jailed for 33 months following a hearing at Stafford Crown Court.
Viv Sharples, principal at The Pingle Academy, said after the case: "Following sentencing we wish to thank the professional bodies involved in this case for supporting the students and the academy."
A spokesperson for Nether Stowe School, also speaking after the court hearing, said: This is a very serious matter and the school worked closely with the authorities throughout their investigation to ensure that all appropriate action was taken.
The school takes its safeguarding responsibilities seriously and the safety, wellbeing and protection of students is of paramount importance to us.
Steve Bould was a maths teacher from 2010 to 2016.
Seven of the offences took place while he worked at Pingle Academy, two offences while he worked at Nether Stowe School, where Bould had worked before joining Pingle school.
Bould, of Heath Hayes, Cannock, had been convicted of intentionally touching a girl under the age of 13 when the touching was sexual.
In a second charge, he was convicted of on no less than three occasions he intentionally touched a girl under the age of 13 when the touching was sexual.
And a third charge saw him convicted of intentionally touched a girl aged under 16 when the touching was sexual when she did not consent and he did not reasonably believe that she was consenting.
In the fourth charge he was guilty of on no less than three occasions intentionally touching a girl under 16 and that touching was sexual when she did not consent and he did not reasonably believe that she was consenting.
The fifth and sixth charges saw him plead guilty to intentionally touching a girl under 16 when the touching was sexual when she did not consent and he did not reasonably believe that she was consenting.
In the seventh and eighth charges, both of which he pleaded guilty to, it was said that on no less than five occasions he intentionally touched a girl under 16 by touching her leg and that the touching was sexual when she did not consent and he did not reasonably believe that she was consenting.
In the ninth charge he admitted that on no less than three occasions he intentionally touched a girl under the age of 13 and the touching was sexual.
The offences of touching amounted to at least 20 times in total in relation to the nine charges.
Bould was ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for 10 years.