Teacher jailed for sex with pupil

Madeleine Martin had sex with the pupil in the back of her car

A religious education teacher who had sex with a pupil after seducing him on Facebook has been jailed for 32 months.

Madeleine Martin, 39, of Grassfield Way, Knutsford, had pleaded guilty to 10 counts of sexual activity with the 15-year-old pupil in February.

Manchester Minshull Crown Court heard the affair was so intense she paid for him to have a tattoo of her initials.

The teacher, who taught at a school in Tameside, Greater Manchester, was his learning mentor, the judge heard.

Having first met the boy in September 2008, the pair began communicating via Facebook.

Their friendship soon turned into a passionate affair, Jennifer Birch, prosecuting, told the court.

'Suffered taunting'

"She drove them to a retail park and they participated in consensual sexual intercourse."

They were eventually told to leave by a security guard who saw what they were doing.

The divorced mother-of-two even created a fake Facebook account in a bid to keep their affair a secret, the court heard.

She arranged for her two teenage daughters to be out one night so she could have sex with the boy.

You started to abuse your position of trust. Eventually you lured him into intercourse which should never have happened Judge Jonathan Geake

The relationship lasted for a matter of days before Martin and the boy decided to end it in a "mutual decision" made in February.

He eventually told his mother about the affair and she immediately reported the matter to police on 20 April.

He has since quit school because he "suffered taunting", and his relationship with his mother has been severely affected, Ms Birch told the court.

"She has seen her vivacious son lose interest in his hobbies. He is very lethargic and has lost the sparkle he once had," she said.

Mark Fireman, defending, said Martin had been at a vulnerable point in her life. She was going through a divorce and her sister had recently died of cancer.

"This was something she fell into. She was in a very vulnerable position, as was he, and she accepts full blame for what happened," he said.

Martin has lost "just about everything", including her job and her friends and she rarely leaves the house, he told the court.

'Emotional scars'

Judge Jonathan Geake said the boy unfortunately has a lasting reminder of their affair in the shape of his tattoo.

He told the defendant: "This is a very sad story for all concerned, not least yourself.

"It is clear your life had come to a very low ebb.

"You started to abuse your position of trust. Eventually you lured him into intercourse which should never have happened."

Martin admitted 10 counts of causing a 15-year-old boy to engage in sexual activity between 9 February 2009 and 16 February 2009, for which she received 32 months per charge to run concurrently.

Det Sgt Dave Moores said: "Martin's actions will leave emotional scars on her victim and his family and have also impacted on the wider community.

"I would like to praise the bravery of the victim in speaking out and ensuring justice was done for him."

Martin has been made to sign the sex offenders register and will remain on it indefinitely.