Deputy headteacher in court over relationship with pupil

A DEPUTY headmaster had an illicit sexual relationship with a teenage boy pupil at his school, a jury has heard.

Adam Williams, from Ruardean Walk, Oakley, Cheltenham, met the pupil on a gay app and they started a relationship, the court heard.

The 35-year-old head of sixth form even joked on text to the boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, that should their affair ever be exposed then: "The Daily Mail would love it. Technically you're a junior."

Opening the case for the prosecution, Christopher May told the hearing at Oxford Crown Court: "This came when Mr Williams was accessing a gay communication application known as Grindr.

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"Through this site he established contact with a young man, who turned out to be a 16-year-old pupil at the school."

He said the boy pretended to be an older man and "at the outset" Williams, who has a wife, did not know who he was communicating with.

Over the website, Williams said he was a teacher and assistant headteacher and "was looking for discretion and fun," said Mr May.

But months later, the court heard, the teen had confirmed his identity to the teacher.

Nothing happened between the pair initially, the jury of seven women and five men was told.

The barrister said it was a criminal offence for somebody who was in a position of trust to engage in sexual activity with somebody under 18, who is a student at the establishment in which they teach.

"He (Williams) had also been trained in child protection and was the designated officer for the Sixth Form," said Mr May.

The prosecutor added that "Matters didn't come to light until the pupil's sister looked through his mobile phone and found both text messages and images on the phone which were sexual."

She confronted her brother, who admitted it was Williams.

Williams denies seven charges of engaging in sexual activity with a child in a position of trust and one count of encouraging or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity in a position of trust.

The youth told police he did not feel like a victim and claimed he had "betrayed" his teacher by telling detectives what happened.

The trial continues.