School cricket coach Glyn Thompson, 31, was jailed for eight years today after admitting having an affair with a 14-year-old

A school cricket coach who had an 18-month affair with a teenage girl was jailed for eight years today.

Glyn Thompson, 31, had sex with 14-year-old on his desk at the school where he worked, in his car and at both her family home and the family home he shared with the mother of his young son.

The father of one from Burnley, Lancashire, taught at the town’s Stoneyholme Community Primary School.

During the affair he bought a pregnancy test for the teenager to ensure she was not carrying his baby.

The scandal was exposed when the girl confessed to a friend in an internet chatroom and the friend sent an anonymous letter to the school.

Thompson was later suspended and then sacked from his teaching job.

At Preston Crown Court Thompson, whose partner was also a teacher at the school, pleaded guilty to nine counts of sexual activity with a child.

The illicit relationship began after Thompson met the girl when she was 13 and the pair began swapping ‘flirty’ emails.

Sylvia Dacre, prosecuting, said Thompson began to groom the girl, adding: ‘He asked her for pictures of herself, which she provided.’

She said he began asking her for pictures in which she was pulling down her t-shirt to reveal her chest, and added: ‘This gradually progressed to her providing naked pictures.

‘He sent one back to her.

‘He began taking her to a room at the school, where he physically abused her. He began to touch her all round and began to kiss her on the mouth.’

‘She felt pressured and scared. If she tried to refuse he would repeatedly ask her until he got what he wanted.’

Scene of affair: Thompson was a cricket coach at Stoneyholme Primary School and had sex with the girl there

The girl later told police: ‘I was scared, I didn’t know what to do but eventually I got the hang of this.’

Thompson began pestering the girl for sex until they eventually had intercourse over his desk in a classroom, the court heard.

The girl said in her statement to police: I kept refusing because I didn’t want to but finally he got to me. I was scared. I didn’t want to, I didn’t know what it was going to be like.

‘On the first occasion it hurt a bit. I didn’t want to say anything – I just closed my eyes.’

The pair also had sex in the living room of his family home and in the teacher’s car, during which he made her lie on the car seats so she couldn’t be seen.

The affair emerged when the girl confided in a friend online. The friend was so concerned she told a mother – then wrote an anonymous letter to the school revealing what has been happening.

Thompson, who has a seven-year-old son, later told police the relationship was ‘mutual’ and said he was ‘sorry’, and that he didn’t intend to ‘use’ her.

The headmistress of Stoneyholme said she was pleased with the eight-year jail sentence Mr Thompson received

In mitigation, defence counsel Phillip Holden said: ‘He has expressed repeatedly his remorse for his behaviour.

‘He’s had a great deal of time to reflect on his offending and has set out in a letter how he feels and the sorrow that he feels both to the victim and to his wider family and the family of the victim.

‘Although the complainant admits to being scared, she did not show that to the defendant, who is adamant he didn’t pick up any fear.

‘He’s a man who has lost his job and good name, admittedly through his own actions. It’s clear he’s an intelligent man, a man with some real promise.

‘It’s a great tragedy that he should find himself in the position he finds himself in today.’

Thompson had pleaded guilty to one count of causing a child to engage in sexual activity and eight counts count of sexual activity with a child at a hearing at Burnley Crown Court in July.

Passing sentence today, Judge Jonathan Gibson banned Thompson from working with children and ordered him to sign the Sex Offender Register for life.

He said: ‘It is clear to me she was young and naive and inexperienced when you began to groom her. This includes many emails and exchanging photographs.’

‘The effects of your offending will be with the complainant and her family for years to come.’

Outside court, DC Liz Owens of Lancashire Police: ‘I am pleased with the sentence, given the horrendous ordeal he put his young victim through.

‘He took advantage of a young girl and groomed her over a long period of time.

‘We will continue to work with other agencies to support her and hope that today’s sentence will bring her some closure.’

Lisa Davison, headteacher at Stoneyholme Primary School, said: ‘Mr Thompson was immediately suspended from his role in school and has since been dismissed.

‘I am pleased that this matter has been dealt with so quickly and that Mr Thompson has received a lengthy prison sentence.’

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