Coventry teacher arrested on suspicion of sexual grooming of pupil

by Martin Bagot

A senior teacher at a Coventry secondary school is on police bail after being arrested on suspicion of sexually grooming one of his teenage pupils.

The teacher – who we cannot name for legal reasons – has been suspended by the school in light of the allegations and is currently on bail pending a police investigation.

It follows allegations the teacher took a 15-year-old schoolgirl out for meals and sent her inappropriate text messages over a number of weeks.

The alarm was raised by a friend of the schoolgirl.

 

Laptops belonging to both teacher and pupil have now been confiscated by detectives investigating the matter.

It is also alleged the teacher took the girl out of school without her parents’ consent, and took her out of an examination.

Coventry City Council, as the local education authority, confirmed the teacher had been suspended from the school pending a police investigation.

A city council spokesman said: “We can confirm we have been made aware of some allegations which are being investigated.

“However, nothing has been proven at this stage.”

Police are now sifting through hundreds of text messages – some of which are said to have been sent late at night and while the teacher was away on holiday with his family.

The teacher is initially believed to have been corresponding with the pupil using his school email address.

It is also alleged he took the girl out for a meal at a fast-food restaurant in the city centre and had offered to take her out on a number of other occasions.

A police spokesman said the arrest concerned an alleged sexual offence against the pupil on January 27.

Officers from the Public Protection Unit in Coventry have been in touch with the school and Coventry City Council as part of the ongoing investigation.

The spokesman added: “We can confirm police arrested a man on suspicion of sexual assault.

“He was arrested following a complaint made to officers at the Public Protection Unit at Coventry and allegedly involved a 15-year-old girl.

“He was subsequently bailed pending further inquiries.”