Teacher accused of sex assaults

A former Staffordshire primary school teacher kissed a pupil on the lips and smacked another on the bottom with a ruler, a court has been told.

Simon Pearce is accused of seven counts of indecent assault against three boys while on a temporary teaching contract.

The jury at Stafford Crown Court heard Mr Pearce, 30, had repeatedly assaulted the pupils, aged nine and 10, and that counts he faced were specimen charges.

Mr Pearce of King Street, Newcastle-under-Lyme, denies all the charges.

'Sexual overtones'

The jury heard how on one occasion Mr Pearce had forced his thumb into the mouth of a child who had been talking, and bounced another on his lap "in a strange way" while alone at lunchtime.

Peter Cooper, prosecuting, said the incident in which the defendant allegedly put his thumb in a child's mouth had "clear sexual overtones".

Mr Cooper said Mr Pearce had bribed one child to hug him by promising the rest of the class he would play a Simpsons DVD if he agreed and, on the last day of term, had kissed a child full on the lips for several minutes.

"This is a man who took steps to obtain a job where he knew there would be contact with children," Mr Cooper said.

"He touched children inappropriately in class with lots of people there and to disguise (his offences) with a veneer of humour or quirkiness."

Mr Cooper said the defendant had also maintained e-mail contact with some of the children when his temporary contract ran out at the end of 2002 and he left the school.

The trial continues.