Teacher banned for sex with pupil she seduced on FB

Clare Horton, 33, slept with the 16-year-old at her home when he should have been studying for his GCSE exams.

The mother-of-two sent messages to him on the networking site after posting sexy “selfie” photographs taken on a mobile.

These included images of the design and technology teacher in a crop-top and a little black dress with a plunging neckline.

A disciplinary hearing was told Mrs Horton, head of Year 11, met with the schoolboy for a revision “rendezvous” before driving him to her home for sex on the sofa.

The boy, Pupil A, admitted to police he had sex with the teacher but didn’t want to press charges.

Presenting officer Martin Jones told a conduct hearing: “The student, 16 at the time, was in Facebook contact with Mrs Horton.

“That led to them meeting up towards the end of the school year – he came to her home and slept there. Mrs Horton’s behaviour clearly amounted to a signif­icant breach in the professional boundary between her and Pupil A. This constitutes misconduct.”

A Professional Conduct Committee of the General Teaching Council of Wales heard “a number” of pupils had Facebook contact with the teacher, who had worked at Fitzalan High School in Leckwith, Cardiff, for 10 years.

She met the youngster in the town one afternoon in June last year and drove him to her home 20 miles away in Newport.

It was alleged that, after having sex, Mrs Horton dropped him off at his home and then went to pick up her two young children.

But the teacher, going through a bitter divorce at the time, denied having sex, saying they fell asleep for an hour. But rumours spread and the teacher told the headmistress she had “slept” with the boy before resigning.

Mrs Horton admitted to the disciplinary hearing in Cardiff she committed “the ultimate sin”.

But she added: “I was in an incredibly emotional state and sexual intercourse was the last thing on my mind.

“All I took from Pupil A was the hand of friendship. To be told I was anything other than ugly, fat, useless and worthless was a safety blanket that I foolishly used.

“He was very kind and listened. I was just talking about what was going on with my ex-husband.”

Police investigated the relationship but the Crown Prosecution Service took no action.

Yet the hearing ruled Mrs Horton had an “inappropriate and sexual relationship” with the pupil.

She was given an indefinite prohibition order and must wait two years before reapplying to teach. The panel said Mrs Horton’s claims that she did not have sex were “unconvincing”.

Chairwoman Helene Mansfield added: “She displayed a lack of awareness of her responsibilities and abused a position of trust.”

ANN.Az