A teacher embarked on a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl within two months of arriving in this country from South Africa and taking up a post at a Dartford school, a court heard.

Kevin Rich and the girl went to bed at his flat and performed sex acts on each other. He then dressed and went to a nearby pub to buy condoms and they had sex.

The 27-year-old science teacher, of Russell Quay, West Street, Gravesend, was jailed for three years and four months after admitting three offences of sexual activity with a child.

Keith Middleton, defending, told a judge: “It is a minor tragedy he will be lost to the teaching profession because of this ill-advised incident.”

Maidstone Crown Court heard Rich arrived to take up his first teaching post in this country in April last year.

“One of her friends who saw the way the relationship was going said she told her they sent messages about what they would like to do to each other” - Prosecutor Anthony Prosser

Prosecutor Anthony Prosser said Rich became friendly with the girl and an inappropriate relationship began over social media.

They exchanged contact details and began texting each other. There were also conversations on Skype and Snapchat.

“One of her friends who saw the way the relationship was going said she told her they sent messages about what they would like to do to each other,” said Mr Prosser.

“She also sent him photos of her wearing just underwear and then topless. She began to tell friends she thought she was in a relationship with Mr Rich.”

They met on two occasions. The first time she joined him at a pub with his flatmates. She left at the end of the evening and nothing sexual happened.

The second time she went to his flat, then in Bexley, after he texted her one evening, saying: “Can you come over.”

She told her parents she was going for a sleep-over at a friend’s home.

He met her at the station and they walked to his flat. They watched a film and there was kissing and cuddling.

They went to bed. Rich performed a sex act on the girl and she performed a sex act on him.

“He left the room to go to a nearby public house to purchase a condom,” said Mr Prosser. “He returned to the bedroom. He put the condom on and they had sex.”

She stayed the night and went home the next day.

Rich at first made full denials but the condom was recovered from his flat and provided DNA evidence.

The girl felt used when she became aware he had started a relationship with a teacher at his school.

Rich’s name will appear on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely and he will be banned from working with children and vulnerable adults.

Judge Michael Carroll said the girl was “clearly a needy individual - indeed vulnerable and capable of being exploited”.

“He was the responsible adult,” said the judge. “She has no experience of life. It is the long-term effect on the victim. It was a mature defendant with an immature victim.”

Rich was clearly thinking about the consequences when he went to buy condoms to have intercourse with the girl.

“A schoolmaster has a particularly elevated position,” said Judge Carroll. “There is an example of grooming behaviour. You allowed it to continue.”

There were three examples of sexual activity during one evening.

“I am satisfied the remorse you now show is genuine,” added the judge. “I can’t have any regard to the consequences of your actions because you brought them on yourself.”

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