A married English teacher and safeguarding lead at a secondary school in Cornwall allegedly had sex with a 16-year-old pupil in his car and at her home while her father was away, a court has heard.
John Harvey, 51, who was an assistant head teacher at Penryn College, is said to have formed a relationship with the girl while she was still a student – and gone on to have sexual intercourse with her on multiple occasions.
He is now standing trial at Truro Crown Court, accused of two counts of sexual activity with a child while in a position of trust – charges he denies.
The court was told on Monday that although the girl was above the normal age of consent, the law sets stricter rules when a teacher is involved with a pupil – and in this case, the sexual relationship was illegal.
Nigel Wraith, prosecuting, told the jury that Harvey had taken advantage of his position to begin an inappropriate relationship with the girl, which allegedly took place outside school, including in his car and at her home when her father was away.
