School Assistant Could Face Jail over Sex Video with 16-Year-Old Belfast Pupil at St Mary's Christian Brothers Boy's Grammar School

By Amands Ferguson
The Belfast Telegraph
November 11, 2013

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/school-assistant-could-face-jail-over-sex-video-with-16yearold-belfast-pupil-at-st-marys-christian-brothers-boys-grammar-school-2

Jo O’Neill-McBurney in classroom

Suspended: Jo O’Neill-McBurney

Jo O’Neill-McBurney dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood at a party

A former classroom assistant who allegedly made a sex tape with a Belfast schoolboy that ended up on a pornographic website could face up to five years in prison for ‘abuse of trust’ if charged and convicted.

Jo O'Neill-McBurney (21), from Crumlin, Co Antrim, was suspended from St Mary’s Christian Brothers Boy’s Grammar School in west Belfast after a 30-minute sex video, featuring her and a teenager, thought to be a 16-year-old, emerged on the internet.

It’s understood the footage, believed to have been recorded by the pair in April, has in recent weeks been viewed more than 6,000 times on a free website.

It is not known who uploaded the graphic footage to the site.

The age of consent for sexual activity in Northern Ireland is 16, however it is illegal for anyone in a position of trust to engage in sexual activity with a person under 18 years of age.

The offence can carry up to five years in prison.

Ms O’Neill-McBurney is currently being investigated by police for an abuse of trust.

A PSNI spokesman said: “Police can confirm they received a report of an incident in April 2013.

“This is subject to an ongoing police investigation and as such it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”

PSNI child protection officers got involved in the case after another pupil at St Mary's alerted a member of staff to the explicit video.

Ms O'Neill-McBurney was immediately suspended and has since left her job.

The teenager in the film left St Mary’s in the summer after completing his exams.

A statement from St Mary’s said: “(The school) became aware of an allegation that concerned one of its former pupils (and) immediately implemented relevant safeguarding measures in collaboration with all appropriate agencies.

“A staff member was immediately placed on a precautionary suspension and is no longer employed.”

A friend of Ms O'Neill-McBurney told the Sunday Life she has been left distraught by the episode.

“Jo has been devastated by this,” the source said.

“She has made repeated attempts to have the video removed from the website but has had no success.

“She is incredibly frustrated, hurt and frightened.”