Description
A teaching assistant who groomed a 13-year-old girl for sex is believed to be the first sex offender to be sentenced under tough new legislation. Jamie Gunn, 25, of Haverhill, Suffolk, admitted seven offences and was jailed for three years.
He was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court under new laws aimed at tackling paedophiles.
They said under old laws the sentence passed down would have been no more than a year in length.
Gunn pleaded guilty to offences of grooming, sexual touching and sexual activity - charges introduced as part of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
The act, which came into force in May, increased the penalty for having sex with a child aged between 13 and 16 from a two-year maximum to a 14-year maximum. Having sex with a girl aged under 13 carries a maximum life sentence.
The act also introduced the offence of sexual grooming - designed to combat the activities of paedophiles who use internet chatrooms to contact children.
The court was told Gunn was an information technology specialist at the school and the girl had initially made contact with him via email.
But Judge John Holt said the girl was in no way to blame for what had happened and that Gunn had to bear the responsibility for grooming her then meeting her for sex.
He banned Gunn from working with children indefinitely and ordered him to sign the Sexual Offenders' Register.
He said Gunn would serve half his three-year sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
'Stupid mistake'
The court heard Gunn's offences had come to light after the girl's mother saw something suspicious on her computer.
Robert Sadd, prosecuting, said the two had exchanged explicit text and email messages over about a month.
Mr Sadd said Gunn had not forced the girl to have sex and had asked whether she was sure about taking such a step.
Roger Harrison, for Gunn, said his client had made a full admission to police, taking the blame and saying it was "a stupid mistake".
He said Gunn had not gone to work at the school with the intention of meeting young girls and did not believe he had paedophile tendencies.