Teacher sentenced for pupil 'embrace'

A teacher caught by a caretaker in an embrace with an underage schoolgirl in a darkened classroom after hours avoided a prison sentence today.

James Bond, 49, was caught with the girl at Dulverton School in Somerset and admitted he had kissed her on previous occasions, patted her bottom and also sent her a mobile phone video clip of him masturbating.

Thousands of messages were later found on her computer between the two of them, many sent via Facebook, and the girl later admitted the "relationship" with Bond started when she was aged just 13.

Bond, of Normandy Way, Taunton, was given a community sentence at Taunton Crown Court today despite the court hearing that the school's headmaster had warned him about his conduct with the girl before he was caught and arrested.

Bond, who has lost his job and his family, including two daughters, because of actions he blamed on depression and heavy drinking, was told by Judge Graham Hume Jones that if his behaviour had gone any further he would have been jailed.

"It appears that in the background of your life you have had considerable emotional problems," the judge said.

"(But) you know perfectly well as a teacher you should never try to solve these emotional problems by involving yourself with any pupils at all, let alone one aged 13 and 14.

"Girls of that age are flattered by the attention of teachers and also they are to be protected against themselves.

"I am concerned because I read that there have been complaints about you in the past but you continued to involve this little girl in your emotional problems."

Bond had previously admitted five charges of sexual activity with a child and one of inciting a child to watch a sexual act.

Prosecutor Caroline Bolt told the court that the caretaker had been checking classrooms at the school in the Exmoor town when he came across Bond and the girl.

"He realised they were in the classroom, in the darkness, locked in," she said.

"The girl denied there had been any sexual contact and their contact had been limited to hugging and occasional kisses on the lips."

However, Ms Bolt said, the girl later confessed when interviewed to having had a relationship with Bond, during which he kissed her "in a sexual manner" and touched her bottom.

The court heard that Bond, who appeared on the edge of tears in the dock, dressed in a grey suit, claimed he had only touched her bottom once, and admitted during a police interview that he had sent her the video clip while drunk.

The court was told that he had had a long and successful career as a history and ICT teacher, which had been destroyed by his actions.

Defence barrister Patrick Mason said Bond committed the offences while depressed and drinking heavily because of his mother's death some years previously and the fact that he had "been in an unhappy marriage for many years". He was now receiving counselling for these problems, the court heard.

"He has brought shame on himself and his family," Mr Mason said.

"He was warned and urged to moderate his behaviour by the headmaster at one stage. He overstepped the mark by a huge margin.

"The sending of the film was a disgusting thing to do and he knows that. He was drunk when he did it, but it never went as far as him exposing himself to this girl in person."

Bond was placed under a supervision order for three years, put on the sex offenders' register for five years and banned from working with young or vulnerable people. He will also be forced to wear an electronic tag and be under curfew for the next three months.

Source: PA