Teacher 'Had Sex with Pupil All Over the School'

Stuart Kerner

A teacher who "gave in to temptation" and pursued a secret affair with a girl had sex with her in empty classrooms all over the school, a court has heard.

Stuart Kerner, 44, faces two counts of sexual activity with a child and six counts of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust. Seems like an odd set of charges - wouldn't all the 'sexual activity with a child' qualify as being 'by a person in a position of trust'?

Jurors heard the alleged victim was 15 when the affair is said to have begun.

She was a former student at Bexleyheath Academy in south east London, Inner London Crown Court was told.

Prosecutor Warwick Tatford said what started as a schoolgirl crush turned into a full-blown sexual affair that was only uncovered in 2013.

'Devious and wicked liar'
On one occasion, it is alleged, Mr Kerner drove the teenager to his home for an all-day sex session.

"This was a gross breach of trust; a teacher giving in to temptation," Mr Tatford said.

"The Crown aren't saying she's innocent in all this.

"She was anxious to have a relationship with him... (but) he was a senior teacher who took advantage of a vulnerable young girl who was besotted with him."

Bexleyheath Academy, southeast London

Mr Kerner's defence team will argue that the complainant - who cannot be named for legal reasons - is a "devious and wicked liar", the court heard.

The jury was told of an occasion when she pretended to have been in a traffic accident to get out of PE class and even wore a bandage around her chest.

"Of course, getting out of PE and making wicked allegations against a respected teacher are rather different things," Mr Tatford told the jury.

'Lost virginity'
This time, the prosecution said, independent evidence including mobile phone records, school absentee logs and even the girl's own coded diary supported her version of events.

Mr Tatford said the girl would testify that on one afternoon in February 2012, when she should have been in class, the then-16-year-old was on the other side of the school losing her virginity.

"She was having sex with Mr Kerner in another part of the school," he said.

Some 90 minutes later, someone allegedly used Mr Kerner's computer login details to change the official absentee record to suggest the girl had been present in class, the court was told.

Prosecutors allege it was done by the teacher himself, doctoring records to cover up an illicit sexual encounter.

The girl thought she was in love with Kerner and "was telling all her friends" about their relationship, the jury heard.

The trial was adjourned until Wednesday.