A former soldier who lost a leg in Afghanistan has been sentenced to prison for sexually assaulting and grooming a schoolgirl while working as a teacher.
Grooming and abuse of a vulnerable pupil
Married father Simon Taylor, 43, now of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, was a teacher at Hethersett Academy in Norfolk when he began targeting his teenage victim. The court heard that over a period spanning more than two years, Taylor groomed and manipulated the girl, making her believe "he was the only one who cared or could help her."
Norwich Crown Court was told that Taylor's offending included sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust, after he touched the girl's thigh under her skirt at school. He also admitted two counts of sexual communication with a child and two counts of sexual assault, which involved touching the girl's breasts in his car. This abuse continued even after she had left the school.
Severe psychological harm caused
Prosecutor Isobel Ascherson detailed how Taylor used the school's messaging platform to contact the girl, later deleting the messages. He sent her indecent images of his genitalia and messages detailing sexual acts he wished to perform. The court heard Taylor told the girl he would harm himself if she did not send him images.
The victim, who reported Taylor to police in 2022 and also informed his wife, has suffered "severe psychological harm." In a victim impact statement read in court on Monday, January 12, she said: "My childhood was stolen from me. I never had the chance to be a normal teenager."
Judge condemns 'targeted' abuse
Sentencing Taylor to four years and six months in prison, Judge Andrew Shaw said the defendant had "targeted" the girl. "You groomed her, you manipulated her," the judge stated. While acknowledging Taylor's military service and the injury that led to the amputation of part of his right leg after a 2009 roadside bomb in Afghanistan, Judge Shaw said he could "see no identifiable link" between the defendant's PTSD and his decision to offend.
Defence barrister Richard English KC said Taylor "accepts he has caused real and great harm." Taylor showed no reaction as he was led to the cells.
In addition to the prison sentence, Taylor was ordered to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely, was barred from working with children, and was made subject to a lifelong sexual harm prevention order.
