Jailed: Married Teacher Has 5-Year Affair With Pupil, Fathers Her Child

52-year-old teacher and married dad-of-two, Simon Parsons who had an affair with a teenage girl pupil harbouring a crush on him has been jailed for a year after he fathered her child. He showed no emotion as he was led to the cells dressed all in black.

Minutes before appearing in front of the judge, the disgraced drama teacher sat calmly outside Court Two reading The Guardian. He came prepared for jail with his personal possessions in a rucksack and a large black plastic bag beside his seat.

The court heard how Parsons began a five-year affair with the victim by taking her on a theatre trip to London shortly after her 17th birthday. They stayed overnight in a hotel and had sexual intercourse in their room. The pair then had unprotected sex “many times” during the following year when their relationship was still illegal.

Their secret trysts included making love at the Castle School in Thornbury, Glos, where Parsons was the “talented and inspirational” head of drama and the teenager was a pupil.

After the case the victim’s mum said: “Every parent sends their child to school expecting them to be safe. To find that school was the very place where your daughter was abused is quite a horrifying ordeal for your child and your family to go through.”

The victim – who cannot be named for legal reasons – has begun a civil claim for damages against the school.

Her solicitor Samantha Robson said after the case: “Essentially a civil claim is being made for failings on the part of the school to prevent the teacher breaching his position of trust. In 2011 the family did raise their concerns with the head teacher but Parson continued teaching there until he was arrested last year.”

Parsons has been married for 12 years and has a daughter, aged 11, with his wife, Bristol crown court heard.

The teacher was aged 43 when he began kissing and sexually touching the teenage girl who was 16 at the time.

Passing sentence judge Neil Ford QC told Parsons: “It is important that people engaged in sexual activity with a child in their care appreciate they will face a sentence of immediate custody – especially when the activity involves sexual intercourse. She greatly valued your drama classes and was keen to pursue a career in acting. She found you charismatic and attractive. To use her words, she had a crush on you. You were a mature married man with a child of your own. She was a pupil living at home with her parents. Initially you hid your activities from your wife but she became aware of them. The victim had to hide the facts of the relationship from her parents. She feels she was let down by a teacher she looked up to and trusted. Your behaviour was wholly inappropriate and a gross breach of trust in your role as a teacher. Pupils will from time to time find teachers attractive and teachers have a duty to make sure they don’t take advantage of that situation.”

The court heard the relationship continued after the victim left school. She was in her early twenties when she gave birth to a baby by Parsons.

The teacher confessed to police when he was arrested last year. His wife has forgiven him and is standing by him, the court heard.

Parsons, from Dursley, Glos, admitted five offences of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust.

The victim’s dad said outside court: “It was obviously a significant sentence and a strong message was sent out by the judge.”

The case comes after a judge spared a teacher who had sex with his teenage pupil in school and said he had been ‘groomed’ by his victim.

Married Stuart Kerner, 44, had sex with the girl at school – taking her virginity on a yoga mat in a store cupboard.

Source: mirror.co.uk