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  Formby Sex Abuse Teacher Jailed

By Lynda Roughley
Champion
February 17, 2010

http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8084

UNITED KINGDOM -- A former school teacher and choir master, who had sex with a 15-year-old girl and sexually molested a younger girl, has been jailed for three years and four months.

Andrew Hunter, of Rosemary Lane in Formby, was told by a judge: "This was a repeated course of conduct involving two girls. It cannot be regarded as impulsive or a momentary lapse, it was a course of conduct over several months.

"Girls of this age need mature guidance from adults and you as a teacher should have been particularly aware of that," said Judge John Phipps.

The bespectacled 27-year-old bachelor, who has since become engaged to another young woman, showed no emotion as he was led to the cells last Friday (February 12, 2010).

Liverpool Crown Court heard that Hunter was a teacher at South Wirral High and a choir master at St Mary's Church, Walton, at the time of the offences but the victims were not pupils nor in the church choir.

Anya Horwood, prosecuting, said that the mother of the 14-year-old victim had been worried that Hunter was over attentive to her daughter and knew that some girls in the church choir "were in awe of him, fluttering their eye lashes at him."

In January 2008 she found her daughter using her messaging service on her computer and saw a message from Hunter asking if she still had "a crush" on him.

Her mother told her to reply that he was too old and asked if anything had happened between them and the girl said not.

Later in the year the girl went to Derbyshire with her friend, the 15-year-old victim and that girl's parents. Hunter turned up by arrangement to collect them and that night got under a duvet with both girls and sexually molested the younger child, said Miss Horwood.

The following month her mother saw another MSN message from him referring to the incident and telling her how to delete messages and she confronted her daughter, who confessed what had happened.

She told police and the other girl was interviewed but she said nothing had happened between either of them and Hunter.

But police arrested Hunter on July 11 and when his computer was seized indecent thumb nail photographs were found, including one clearly of the 15-year-old.

That girl was re-interviewed and she said she had not been honest before because she was scared of Hunter. She told how they had had sexual intercourse three times at her home and once at his home. Her parents had allowed her to call at his home because he shared it with a police officer, said Miss Horwood.

Keiran Fielding, defending, said that Hunter, who has no previous convictions, did not have a general attraction or propensity for sexual activity with children.

The relationship developed with the older girl after she became "his sounding board and confidante" because of his financial and personal difficulties.

"By his actions he has destroyed his own career. He has brought shame on himself and his family."

He was suspended from teaching after the offences came to light and knows he will be unable to work with children again, added Mr Fielding.

Judge Phipps ordered Hunter to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life and imposed an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order which bans from from being alone with children. He must also register any computer and phone with a camera and internet access with the police.

Hunter pleaded guilty to sexual activity with the 14-year-old, four similar offences involving the other victim, inciting her to engage in sexual activity and possessing ten indecent photographs. The offences took place between December 1, 2007 and May 30, 2008.

 
 

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