Teacher jailed for indecently assaulting teenage boy

David Edward Robinson was handed a prison term of two years and eight months for the ‘sexual exploitation’ of his victim.

The 55-year-old geography teacher, who worked at Thornhill Community Science College until his arrest, admitted three counts of indecent assault last month.

During today’s hearing at York Crown Court, Judge Scott Wolstenholme told him: “You took advantage of your standing as a respected teacher to exploit sexually a young 15-year-old boy.

“You abused his trust, the trust of his parents, and the trust the school placed in you. This conduct was quite disgraceful.”

The court heard the offences took place between September 1996 and July 1999 after Robinson befriended the boy through after school activities, but only came to light in 2010 when the victim made a complaint to police.

Charlotte Eastwood, mitigating, said Robinson had been struggling with his own sexuality at the time and was ‘very remorseful’ about his behaviour.

Robinson, formerly of Aberford Road, Leeds, was also banned from working with children and must comply with an indefinite sexual offences prevention order on his release.