Teacher jailed for grooming girl, 13, online

Alexander McCall, 28, posed as a 20-year-old university student and the girl originally claimed to be 16 – but he carried on even when he learnt her true age.

They met on a social networking site in August 2007, two months after he started his teaching job.

Later the pair contacted each other on a daily basis, using texts and MSN initially and then swapped phone numbers.

During one web chat McCall, of Devonshire Lane, Roundhay, Leeds, who admitted inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and making and possessing indecent photographs, asked the young girl about her underwear and then asked her to pose for him.

This led to further sex acts by the girl either via webcam or by pictures she took of herself and sent to him. In Christmas 2007 she told McCall that she was not 16 but 13, the court heard that the defendant was "shocked" but the online relationship continued.

McCall's activities were only discovered in July 2008 after her parents, of Essex, became suspicious about the amount of time she was spending on the phone.

Her father found his daughter in front of the webcam in her underwear.

McCall, a history teacher at Featherstone Technology College, was arrested in February last year and computer equipment was taken from his parent's house, his partner's house and place of work.

A selection of 309 images and films were retrieved from his computers, including one film rated Level Five that showed a young child being raped.

The prosecution told the court that the computer from McCall's school was a laptop which he would bring home.

Passing sentence at Leeds Crown Court yesterday Judge Geoffrey Marson QC said: "The sad fact is by Christmas 2007 you knew she was 13, as she told you so. But it did not deter you.

"It is perfectly clear you have a sexual interest in children. You were grooming this girl for sexual activity over a period of months."

Michael Smith, prosecuting, said: "She said she did it to please him. In evidence she said she posed for him a lot and sexual activity also occurred often.

"Police when seizing the computer equipment also took the teen's phone to study any messages on it. Many were sexually explicit, others indicated the defendant was in love with her despite her age."

When questioned by police, McCall said he told the girl he had cancer to try to break off the relationship – but he continued contacting her. He told police the offences started when he was suffering from a drink and drug problem and stressed by his new child and new job.

The teacher pleaded guilty in May this year to three counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, five of making indecent photos of a child and one of possession of indecent images of children.

The charges did not relate to any children at McCall's school.

Jason Pitter, defending, said his client showed "deep regret and apologies for his conduct".

McCall was placed on extended licence for three years and was made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, meaning he cannot work with children under 16 who are unsupervised.