Teacher 'had sex with vulnerable schoolgirl, 14, and put camera in her bedroom'
A teacher had sex with a "vulnerable" schoolgirl and set up a camera in her bedroom before her own partner reported her to the police, a court was told.
Ellie Pattison, 29, allegedly befriended the 14-year-old schoolgirl when she was living in care. The pair were said to have become close and the teaching assistant allegedly made the youngster think she had fallen “in love” with her. Pattison, who worked at a secondary school in East Sussex, regularly met the teen outside of school and began to have sex with her, the prosecution said.
On one occasion a friend of the schoolgirl’s was said to have seen the teacher kissing her in a car. This week, Pattison went on trial charged with three counts of penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged between the age of 13 and 15. She was also charged with two further charges of non-penetrative sexual activity with the child at various locations in East Sussex. Pattison denies five charges of sexual activity with her alleged victim.
The offences are said to have happened between 2017-2018 (David McHugh / Brighton Pictures)
Pattison had been assigned to look after the schoolgirl (David McHugh / Brighton Pictures)The offences are said to have happened between 2017-2018 when Pattison was 23 years old. Hove Crown Court heard Pattison was working as a teaching assistant at the secondary school with an extra responsibility of looking after children who were in care.
The court was told how she was assigned to look after the alleged victim, who was in a children's home, and the pair were said to have became very close and formed an "inappropriate relationship". The court heard they would regularly text one another, exchanging intimate messages and even set up cameras in their bedrooms so they could see one another.
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Pattison faces various charges including three counts of penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged between the age of 13 and 15 (David McHugh / Brighton Pictures)
Pattison was reported to the police by her own partner when she found out about the allegations (David McHugh / Brighton Pictures)The relationship was described as "inappropriate and unhealthy" in court, and took place whilst Pattison was already in a relationship with her partner Naomi Tregear - who would eventually report her to the police herself. Sarah Lindop, prosecuting, said: "She formed an inappropriate and sexual relationship with this 14 year old girl. She abused her position of trust but also made the complainant, who was a vulnerable child, believe it was a real relationship and that she loved her."
Ms Lindop said that a friend witnessed the teacher kissing the young schoolgirl and that she was then "asked not to say anything but she broke that confidence and she made a complaint."
When the school bosses heard Pattison had been meeting a vulnerable pupil outside school she was suspended from her job and the school. When the teaching assistant's own partner, Miss Tregear found out about the "inappropriate relationship" she also reported Pattison to the police.
Pattison was arrested by officers and admitted to being close to the teenager but when the allegations were put to her she denied anything sexual had ever taken place. She told officers: "No nothing like this ever happened."
The trial continues
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