A UK teacher, who had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student, has been banned from teaching for life. Erin Hebblewhite, now 32, was jailed for two years and after an investigation by a misconduct panel, she has been banned from returning to the classroom. According to a Teaching Regulation Agency report, the incident took place in 2018. Hebblewhite was sentenced to two years in prison in 2021 after a court heard she had pressured the teenage girl into sex during an illicit relationship.
Decisionmaker Marc Cavey wrote: "In this case, I have placed considerable weight on the very serious nature of Ms Hebblewhite's offences which involved sexual activity with a child. I have also taken into account the lack of evidence of insight and remorse on Ms Hebblewhite's behalf."
Mr Cavey added that he gave less weight in his consideration to the "contribution that Ms Hebblewhite has made to the profession. In my view, it is necessary to impose a prohibition order in order to maintain public confidence in the profession".
During the hearing in 2021, the Snaresbrook Crown Court heard that Hebblewhite groomed the student with flirty text messages and took explicit images of them naked in bed together.
The court was also told that the teacher first had sex with the girl in the toilet of a restaurant during a meal out for Valentine's Day.
The teen's lawyers also said that Hebblewhite was the first person to kiss her.
The offence came to light after the girl's family members seized her phone and found explicit messages, according to East London and West Essex Guardian.
The charges against Hebblewhite are related to sexual activity with a girl aged between 13 and 17 and abusing her position of trust, with another charge being sexual activity in the presence of a teenager.
The other two charges were taking and possession of indecent photographs of a girl under the age of 17.
