Class supervisor given jail term over sex with 15-year-old girl

Christopher Reen, 32, is the fifth member of staff at Headlands School in Bridlington to have faced the courts in recent years in relation to inappropriate sexual conduct.

Reen, of Carlton Street, Bridlington, admitted six counts of sexual activity with a child under 16 at a hearing earlier this year. He also admitted one count of sexual activity in breach of trust.

Judge David Tremberg, sitting at Grimsby Crown Court, told the martial arts instructor he had "only yourself to blame" for his predicament.

"Your behaviour undermines public confidence in the school system. Your behaviour has tarnished and damaged the reputation at the school where you were then a master which was already tarnished by others.

"And also, your behaviour tarnished the proud and valuable reputation and work of your profession."

He added: "It is important that the courts send out a message that teachers who are inclined to act as you did will be locked up for years."

Reen, dressed in a dark suit and pink tie, looked close to tears and was shaking as the judge sentenced him to 40 months in jail.

He was also made subject to a stringent sexual offences prevention order which restricts his contact with young girls indefinitely.

The court was told Reen bombarded the victim with sexually explicit text messages.

The court also heard the defendant had sex with the girl at his home when his wife was away, and also at other locations.

Helen Hendry, prosecuting, said: "He knew she was 15 years old and knew she had filled in a date-of-birth form at the martial arts club.

"He knew she was a Year 10 pupil. He knew his predecessor was on police bail and had been suspended for having a sexual relationship with a pupil.

"He knew two previous members of staff were in prison for having relationships with other pupils. He had not just information provided to him – he had face-to-face meetings with the deputy head, he had one-to-one meetings with him on how he should behave with pupils and he had induction and training courses.

"Despite all that history and guidance given to him, within a few weeks he had commenced a sexual relationship with (the girl]."

Police found evidence of 800 text messages or calls to the girl from Reen's mobile, between July 12 and October 8 2008, and on one occasion he sent the teenager a photograph of his genitals, the court was told.

Reen, who was 30 at the time, did not deny having a full sexual relationship with the girl but claimed he did not know she was under-age.

In mitigation, Anil Murray said his client was full of remorse and accepted his actions had let down his family, the victim and the school involved.

He said the relationship was consensual but accepted his actions had a "significant impact on the people that he loves".

He said that, when Reen embarked on the relationship, he was under considerable personal pressure and he has sought help to address his problems.

After the sentence, a family statement said: "Schools are not an open playground for would-be sex offenders to groom and form sexual relationships with our children.

"We should feel safe and secure when leaving our children in a position of trust and hope this event will warn anyone planning on targeting our children, the police and schools do not tolerate this."

School's register of teacher shame

Christopher Reen is the fifth member of Headlands School staff to face such charges.

In 2008, a female teaching assistant was given a conditional discharge after admitting abusing trust.

That year, Terry Mann was given a suspended sentence over a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl from another school.

In 2007, Steven Edwards was sentenced to nearly five years after being convicted of sex charges involving three teenage pupils.

In 2006, Ian Blott was jailed for four years after a sexual relationship with a girl.