Staffordshire 2011-07-17

Craig Lindsay 50

Teacher jailed for having internet sex chats with a schoolgirl.

Profile Picture
Offender ID: O-1336

Locations

Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, ST14

Description

A TEACHER jailed for having internet sex chats with a schoolgirl once taught pupils a lesson on lap dancing and porn, it was claimed last night.

Craig Lindsay, 37, from Uttoxeter, was locked up for 15 months by a judge at Stafford Crown Court for having explicit conversations with the teenage girl via a webcam.

Now an ex-pupil has claimed the married teacher once put on a racy lesson for older students while working at Thomas Alleynes School.

On a Facebook page dedicated to the dad-of-two, the former student wrote: One of the funniest times ever was when Lindsay was showing us a powerpoint presentation on lap dancing and porn.

The best sociology lesson ever the first one of my Year 12 year. He is a certified legend!

Staffordshire County Council was unaware of the new claims, but said there had been no other complaints about Lindsay. The pervert teacher was charged with inciting a child to sexual activity and sexual activity in the presence of a child.

The court heard he first took an interest in his victim when she was aged 14, showering her with compliments, although the abuse did not start until she was 16 or 17.

During the hearing, the teacher admitted that he had flattered and complimented the girl before going on to exchange a mass of sexual messages over the internet.

It led ultimately to him performing a sex act in front of a webcam with his victim watching, the court heard.

Defence lawyer Andy Easteal said: He said he was going to be thinking rude thoughts about her and what he would like to do to her.

On quite a few occasions he performed a sexual act in front of the computer.

This conduct all took place online, it never involved any physical proximity.

They both knew and understood it to be a fanciful series of exchanges and messages. None of the things that were discussed were embarked upon.

The chat went on for months but was only discovered on the girls laptop computer a couple of years later. Jailing Lindsay, Judge Michael Challinor said: This kind of sexual abuse damages the integrity of our school system.

Parents must be able to trust teachers to deal with their children appropriately.

You were a teacher and its clear you began to groom her for your own purposes when she was 14. You knew she was vulnerable and by a number of devices, flattery and subterfuge, you drew her in to this sexual activity.

There was no penetrative sexual activity.

She has suffered some psychological harm by reason of the discovery, the humiliation of the investigation by family and the police.

Her introduction to a sexual relationship was not normal it was with you, a 37 year-old married man.

A spokesman for Staffordshire County Council said: Mr Lindsay was suspended from his post in November 2009 following an allegation which has been investigated and concluded.

He has since resigned from his post, and his case is being referred to the Independent Safeguarding Authority.

Prior to this, there had been no previous complaints about his teaching practice.

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