Sam Dickety 32

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A HAMPSHIRE man has been jailed for having sex with a 15-year-old girl on school premises.

Sam Dickety slept with the teenager at Henry Beaufort School in Winchester.

The 23-year-old was jailed for four years as his girlfriend, pregnant with his child, wept in the public gallery.

The citys crown court heard that the teenager had a crush on him and pursued him with notes and messages.

Dickety, of Tadburn Road, Romsey, gave her his phone number and email address. In a message he said he wished she wasn't 15.

They arranged to meet on several occasions and first had sex in an area known as The Harbour which only teachers could access, and again two days later in the same place.

This continued until Dicketys birthday, when the girl asked another pupil to deliver a birthday card to him.

It was intercepted by her mother, who thought it was provocative and reported it to the school.

The card said: I love you so much and you mean everything to me, you are my handsome Sam. Ps, youll get your present on Thursday haha.

Claire Marlow, prosecuting, said: The headmistress spoke to Mr Dickety who at that stage said that nothing had happened in any way. He was reminded of the safeguarding rules and warned not to have one-to-one contact with her thereafter.

But they continued to meet in The Harbour to have sex for another two months, the court heard.

Ms Marlow said: This came to light during the school holidays because there was a message on Facebook, which is the parents because they will not allow her to have her own, from him asking whether she was going to be in a particular location that day.

Dickety pleaded guilty to five of six charges relating to sexual activity with a child.

Mitigating, Rina-Marie Hill said: I proceed with caution that for every good thing I can say on Mr Dicketys behalf theres a downside to it. This is a 15-year-old girl, soon to be woman, at the time who was sensibly consenting to the sexual activity.

She added: The impact of this will stay with him for the rest of his life and he will pay the consequences for the rest of his life.

Sentencing, Judge Susan Evans QC said it was a significant and serious abuse of trust and Dickety would have been aware of the girls vulnerability - she had previously been sexually assaulted.

You took advantage of your 15-year-old victim, you groomed her, the judge said.

The location is an aggravating factor because it was on school property and most seriously you failed to respond to the warning you were given.

He was jailed for four years and will be released on licence after two years.

Dickety will also be on the sex offenders register for life and disqualified from working with children and vulnerable people.

The school, a mixed comprehensive in Harestock, and the county council, were asked to comment but had not replied by the time the Daily Echo went to press.