Teacher convicted over sex with 14yo

The teen and McMillan engaged in sexual acts twice when she was aged 14 to 15.

A former Christchurch teacher faces a potential jail sentence after having a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old.

Daniel Bruce McMillan, 46, was working as a teacher at Kingslea School in Christchurch from 2014 to 2016 when the offences occurred. The teen he had the relationship with went to a different city school.

Yesterday, a Christchurch District Court jury found McMillan guilty of three charges of sexual connection with a person younger than 16 years, and meeting a young person following sexual grooming. He was acquitted on a charge of supplying or administering cannabis to a young person.

The relationship began when McMillan sent the teen sexual messages detailing what he wanted to do to her. The young girl reciprocated his advances. During the trial she told the jury McMillan was charismatic and that she had a small crush on him. She said she found it exciting when he sent her messages and told her how good she looked because she wanted the attention.

The teen and McMillan engaged in sexual acts twice when she was aged 14 to 15. During both incidents his wife was asleep in the house while this happened. The second incident involved sex in a bathroom.

The victim said afterwards she felt ‘‘gross’’ and ‘‘stupid’’ for letting it happen.

McMillan and the student had sex again about a year later in a cemetery.

Their sexual relationship came to light when a mutual acquaintance found text and Facebook messages the teen and McMillan sent each other.

The former teacher did not deny that he had sexual relations with the victim, but claimed it did not start when she was 14 or 15 years old.

Defence lawyer Grant Tyrrell said the Crown could not prove the sexual relations took place before the teenager turned 16.

But the jury rejected this idea, deliberating for only a few hours before reaching a unanimous verdict.

McMillan was clearly upset and shook his head as the verdict was read in court.

His name suppression lapsed, he was taken into custody and will be sentenced in October.