Headmistress is spared prison over indecent photos of lesbian lover, 16
A PRIMARY school headmistress caught with indecent photos of her teenage lesbian lover walked free from court yesterday.
Married mother- of- two Rhian De Souza, 43, had a secret fling with the girl, who was 16 and a willing partner, a hearing was told.
The relationship was legal but it was against the law for De Souza to have the girl’s naked selfie photographs on her mobile phone, the crown court heard.
De Souza admitted two charges of making indecent photographs of a child and shook uncontrollably as she was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for five years.
Judge Paul Thomas told her: ‘Your reputation and standing in the community, once sky high, has been irretrievably damaged. You will lose your status and career. I can see no way you will ever teach again.’
De Souza, of Llanelli, South Wales, was given a two-year community order and told to attend a rehabilitation course and carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
She was head at the 190-pupil Gellionnen Primary School in Swansea for five years until her suspension this year.
Prosecutor Carina Hughes said: ‘De Souza embarked on a relationship with the girl who was 16. She was not under the age of consent and the relationship was consensual.
‘The girl sent her two naked photographs of herself on Snapchat. They dropped off her mobile in a short period.’
But police became aware of the images and found them on the head’s phone history. One was category A, the most serious, and the other category C.
The girl’s mother told the court the impact on her daughter was immense and she had become ‘socially isolated’ since the pictures were discovered.
The court heard it was legal for an adult to have a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old but illegal to possess explicit photographs of an under-18.
Georgina Buckley, defending, said: ‘It is an anomaly.’
Judge Thomas said: ‘My first reaction was that a prison sentence was inevitable for a headteacher to be found with indecent images of a child.
‘Now I am aware of the facts, the scenario is a very different one. Whether the relationship was wise, decent or appropriate is another matter. But this is not a court of morality, it is a court of law.’
De Souza broke down in tears and was hugged by relatives as she left Swansea Crown Court.
The pictures did not relate to any child past or present at any school where she has worked.