Helen
Turnbull, pictured right at an earlier court appearance, said that her
contact with the 16-year-old boy went no further than kissing. The
35-year-old, left, allegedly paid the boy special attention at schoolA teaching assistant groomed a schoolboy with sweets and cuddles then had sex with him in her Mini, a court has heard.
Helen
Turnbull sent the 16-year-old a photo of herself in her underwear and
they swapped suggestive messages via Facebook and her phone, Teesside
Crown Court was told.
The
mother-of-two has admitted she kissed the pupil, who cannot be named
for legal reasons but denies having sex with him or performing a sex act
on him, or having oral sex with him.
The
35-year-old from Haswell, County Durham, has pleaded guilty to one
count of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of
trust, but denies three other counts, saying their contact went no
further than kissing.
Sarah Mallett, prosecuting, told the jury: 'It is not suggested that [the boy] did not consent to what happened.
'These
offences arose because of the need to protect children while they are
at school from exploitative relationships with adult teachers who have
trusted access to them, that can allow them to groom people in their
care, so they then willingly engage in sexual activity.'
The
prosecution alleged Turnbull, known at the school as Miss Robson, paid
the boy a lot of attention and gave him sweets and cuddles.
'This, the prosecution say, was the first stage of the grooming process,' she said.
After
a school prom she returned home drunk and changed her Facebook profile
picture to one taken that night of her with the teenager, the court
heard.
The prosecution
alleged Turnbull, pictured covering her face as she left court today,
paid the boy a lot of attention and gave him sweets and cuddles
Soon after her husband Ben accused her of having an affair and their marriage broke down, the jury was told.
The literacy assistant messaged the schoolboy on Facebook and they agreed to get together away from school.
They
had a secret meeting and they cuddled, then kissed, Miss Mallett said,
and before they parted she warned him not to tell anyone.
They
met again more than a week later and this time had sex in her car, the
prosecution alleged. They had to stop because another car pulled up
nearby.
Miss Mallett said they met and there was sexual activity twice more in the coming month.
'Helen Turnbull also sent pictures including one in her underwear,' the jury heard.
The boy then began to cool on the relationship and felt pressured, Miss Mallett said.
If he did not reply to texts she would send hostile ones, the prosecution alleged.
The
boy had been warned by her to delete messages between them, the court
heard. 'She knew she was married and going through a divorce and was
worried she might lose custody of the children,' Miss Mallett said.
'Helen Turnbull needed the relationship to remain secret.'
Miss Mallett claimed Turnbull lied when her headteacher asked about what had been going on, telling him it was 'sorted'.
The
teenager's father found out and spotted Turnbull sitting in her car in
his street, despite the boy never telling her his address, the court
heard.
Miss Mallett said: '(The father) was angry, got out of the car and called her a paedophile.
'She said "It's not like that", but he was, perhaps understandably, too angry to listen.'
The pupil finally contacted police to report Turnbull’s behaviour when he was 17-years-old, with the help of his father.
When Turnbull was arrested, she admitted she had hugged the boy and given him sweets in front of others.
When
her marriage got into trouble, she said she had sent him more than one
friend request on Facebook. The attention made her feel better at the
time, but she told police she now realised it had been 'stupid'.
In
a second police interview, she admitted sending messages of 'sexual
banter' to the boy but they were merely intended 'titillate,' she said.
The
court heard messages police recovered included them discussing staying
in a hotel and how nice it would be for them to share a bed.
In
one message, the boy told her: 'I will turn up but I am not some easy
16-year-old lay. No way will you get my kit off without some graft.'
The trial continues.
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