Locations
Greggs Wood Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2
Description
A former teacher who engaged in sexual touching with an infatuated teenager has been jailed for eight months.
Stephen Burrows, 66, was told by a judge he should have seen the warning signs and "stopped dead" what was happening.
Maidstone Crown Court heard that Burrows, who taught English at Tonbridge Grammar School, suffered from impotency and that the attention from the girl made him feel more of a man.
The grandfather-of-two, of Greggs Wood Road, Tunbridge Wells, admitted sexual activity with a child and making indecent photographs.
The images were all of the girl and ones she had sent to him via WhatsApp and email. One showed her naked from the rear, two were of her topless and another two showed her in her underwear.
When Burrows was arrested in September 2013, his wife, Joyce, told police that the teenager was fixated with her husband and had once claimed she was the predator and he was the prey.
However, passing sentence, Judge Michael Carroll said he had no difficulty in identifying Burrows as being the one to blame for what happened.
"You knew that she was infatuated with you and you had the power to stop it...You chose not to do that and, as often is the case, it developed and in the end even you knew it was wrong."
The judge added his behaviour was aggravated by having the indecent photographs, as well as internet searches found by police which used sexual terms that showed "an unhealthy interest" in people akin to the relationship they shared.
The court heard the offences came to light in September 2013. The girl initially denied that anything improper had occurred and claimed rumours were being spread.
However, she later told police that Burrows had touched her intimately.
Prosecutor Steven Attridge said the girl also revealed that she had instigated the contact between them and on one occasion told friends she was going to "go for it".
"She said she hugged Burrows, kissed him on the lips and that it became more sexual. She put her head on his shoulder, she hugged him and he put his arm around her and was stroking her back.
"She said she put her arms around him...Things then escalated quite quickly and the stroking became sexual."
They later arranged to meet for coffee on three occasions.
Mr Attridge said they also expressed their love for each other in text messages and that Skype communications indicated that other sexual acts had taken place, although the prosecution could not go behind the victim's statement.
"He is extremely sorry for what he has done," added Miss Harris. "He realises he has let everybody down" - Caroline Harris, defending"
Caroline Harris, defending, urged the court to show leniency by suspending any sentence due to Burrows' ill health and that of his wife.
However, when she said Burrows accepted his behaviour had been "very stupid", Judge Carroll replied: "No, it was criminal."
The court heard that Burrows suffers from impotency as a result of type 2 diabetes and since the offences had lost 5st, does not have a stomach and finds it difficult to eat.
"He is extremely sorry for what he has done," added Miss Harris. "He realises he has let everybody down."
Upon his release, Burrows will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for seven years and will have to sign on the sex offenders' register.