Sean Aldridge, aged 37, was a former teacher at Warblington School in Havant and has been guilty of 24 counts of sexual activity with a child and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
During the three-week trial, Portsmouth Crown Court heard that Aldridge, from Southsea, had sex with girls aged 13 to 16 between 2006 and 2012 on school premises and in his car. The court was told how one of his victims became pregnant before suffering a miscarriage
Aldridge, who taught PE, was also convicted of one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. He was accused of deliberately targeting and grooming young girls and telling one during Sex that he shouldn’t be doing it as he could go to jail.
The BBC court reporter said:
At his sentencing, one of his victims read out a statement saying Aldridge initially made her feel special but she was left feeling “dirty, used, stupid and embarrassed” after he took her virginity.
Judge Roger Etherington said about him: “The abuse of trust was truly appalling. You were perceived as a good or outstanding teacher with a special rapport with pupils.”
But, he said, Aldridge had groomed girls with “flirty texts and intimate photos”.
He said it was “quite extraordinary” that by 2017 Aldridge had been made the school’s safeguarding lead, a post he said would have taken “breathtaking arrogance” to apply for.
Hampshire Constabulary confirmed it had previously investigated allegations relating to two of the girls but it later emerged Aldridge had persuaded both victims to lie.
After his sentencing, Det Insp Toby Elcock said: “Aldridge had such a hold on the girls that they did not feel able to report what was happening to them when police spoke with two of the victims back in 2010 and 2012. However, thanks to the bravery of those girls, who are now grown women, that silence was broken.”
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