Supply teacher jailed over sex with pupil
HE TOLD OLDER SISTER HE WAS IN LOVE WITH THE YOUNGSTER, BUT JUDGE SAYS HE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF HER KINDNESS AFTER SHE SPOTTED HIM CRYING –
A SUPPLY teacher’s 10-month sexual relationship with a schoolgirl was discovered when he was confronted by his victim’s disgusted older sister.
Pervert Lewis Hobbs had had sex with the youngster when her sister turned up at her home concerned she had not answered a call from her mother.
Hobbs then proceeded to tell the shocked sister that he loved the schoolgirl and that she “wouldn’t understand”.
Hobbs, 28, worked as a supervisor at Granville Academy, in Burton Road, Woodville, at the time he carried out the offences. He was later sacked in November 2019 when his crimes came to light.
Hobbs, of Heathfield Road, Uttoxeter, pleaded guilty to eight child sex charges when he previously appeared at Derby Crown Court.
He admitted six counts of sexual activity with a child and two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
At a sentencing hearing on Monday, he was jailed for three years.
The court heard that Hobbs was a newly qualified teacher and was working as a supply teacher at Granville Academy.
He had met the schoolgirl when she saw him crying in his classroom having just dismissed an unruly class early.
That meeting soon led to the schoolgirl adding him as a friend on Snapchat and from there a relationship developed.
John Farmer, prosecuting, told the court: “She became infatuated with the defendant. There was kissing when they met from time to time in the PE staff room.
“She said how fond she was of him and she encouraged him. He did nothing to discourage it. This went on for about 10 to 11 months.”
Mr Farmer said they would also meet in his car and at her home when her mother was not in.
It came to a head when the girl made an arrangement for Hobbs to come to her house when her mother was away for a few days. Normally she would have stayed with her sister but said she wanted to stay at home.
Mr Farmer told the court: “When her mother rang one evening and she didn’t answer because she was partaking in sexual acts with the defendant.
“The mother rang the girl’s sister, worried that she wasn’t answering. The sister went round.
“There was something of a standoff and she found the defendant in her sister’s bedroom, fully dressed. There was some tension when the sister confronted the defendant, asking in no uncertain terms, ‘what do you think you are doing?.’ He told her: ‘You don’t understand, I love her.’”
When he was arrested Hobbs told police, ‘I love her to bits,’ ‘we wanted to spend time together’ ‘you can’t help your feelings,’ and ‘we have a long-term plan.’ However, his victim now looks at the situation differently, the court was told.
A victim impact statement read out on her behalf said: “From the time that all this started to now my feelings have totally changed. I now see that everything about it was wrong.
“He made me feel special and had my attention and now that I am older I feel that everything about it was inappropriate. I was disgusted about it. I was a child and I was taken advantage of by an adult who should have known better.
“I would have done anything for him, to protect him. I just wish I had known then what I know now. I was naive.”
Joe Harvey, defending Hobbs, said at the same time of the start of the offending, the defendant was teaching subjects he had no interest in; a sporting injury had led to a limp for which Hobbs became the subject of mockery; and he was just coming out of a long-term relationship.
Mr Harvey said: “This all came to a head when he was covering a lesson which he had no experience in. He was not in control of his class and dismissed them early.
“He broke down in the classroom by himself when the victim walked by and asked him why he was upset. He was unable to hide his upset and the mistake he made was being honest with her which then opened a gateway where they formed a friendship.
“He has been dealing with the fallout of his own stupidity and he was dismissed from his job.
“There was a lack of support that the school should have provided to newly qualified colleagues.”
In sentencing Hobbs, Judge Shaun Smith told him that while he was not a predator, he did nothing to discourage the youngster from pursuing a relationship with him.
He told Hobbs: “She said she was fond of you and encouraged you. It may well be that she encouraged you with her lack of maturity but the fact is you were her teacher and almost twice her age.
“You could have ended it yourself at that stage but you chose not to end it, and you didn’t stop it there either.
“By now you were hell bent on a relationship with her.
“You expressed your immaturity when you said you loved her. At that time I have no doubt that she was expressing the same views.
“There is nothing right about what you did. It was all wrong and she was too immature to even think about what was happening.
“You were the adult and she was the child. You abused her and your position at the school.
“You are not a predator looking for young women. You were caught in circumstances which you found yourself to be in. She showed you kindness but you took advantage of it.”
Hobbs was also made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and was barred from working with children for life.
In a statement, Ian Mcneilly, chief executive of The de Ferrers Trust, which oversees the school, said after the court case: “Hobbs was dismissed from his employment at Granville Academy without notice in November 2019.
“To clarify something that was mentioned by his defence solicitor, Hobbs was not employed as a teacher but as a cover supervisor. These employees cover for absent teachers in different subject areas and are provided the work and support.
“This awful case serves as a reminder to all of those who work in any capacity with children that they have a duty to be vigilant around safeguarding matters in order to protect those in our care.
“On behalf of Granville Academy, I would like to thank all of those who have worked towards ensuring that this man has been convicted and brought to justice.”
He made me feel special... now that I am older I feel everything about it was inappropriate.
Victim