Ex-Fareham paedophile PE teacher found guilty of having sex with pupil
The former teacher has now been convicted of sexual offences against three of her students
A paedophile PE teacher has been found guilty of having sex with a teenage pupil at her former home in Fareham.
Bronwen James, 30, has been found guilty at Winchester Crown Court of three counts of sexual activity with a 16-year-old pupil while working at Bitterne Park School in Southampton.
James had previously pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual activity with a child, two counts of sexual communication with a child, and one count of making an indecent photograph of a child, relating to two female students, aged 13 and 14 at the time.
She abused her position as a teacher by engaging in sexual communications with a 13-year-old female student at Bitterne Park School. The offending later progressed into a sexual relationship when the girl was 14.
The defendant then pursued a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old male student at the same school, telling him that she loved him and wanted him to move away with her.
The predator subsequently moved to a different school in Wiltshire, where she engaged in a sexual relationship with another 14-year-old female student.
James was arrested in August 2023 and went on to commit further offences against one of the students while on bail.
A Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson said: “We built a strong case based on the accounts of the victims, together with digital evidence including messages and communications between James and those she abused. This evidence was central to securing both her guilty pleas and today's conviction.”
Bethany Adams, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Bronwen James was trusted to educate and protect children. Instead, she used that trust to groom and sexually abuse three students.
"James manipulated her victims with calculated precision, exploiting her position of authority to isolate them and normalise the abuse. This was not a lapse in judgement; it was a sustained pattern of predatory behaviour against children in her care.
"The courage shown by James's victims in coming forward has been instrumental in securing this conviction. I hope it gives them, and their families, some measure of justice."
An NSPCC spokesperson said: “As a teacher, James' role was to support, protect and educate those in her professional care. However, she exploited that position of trust by pursuing and engaging in inappropriate and illegal sexual conduct with a student.
"When someone in authority abuses a trusted relationship, young people can find it particularly difficult to recognise what is happening or to speak out about it, and it can have a profound and lasting impact on their wellbeing.
“Regardless of who the perpetrator is and the position they hold, it is vital that victims can reach out for help, knowing they will be listened to and supported.
“Childline is available 24/7 for any child or young person who needs someone to speak to by calling 0800 1111 or visiting childline.org.uk. Adults with concerns over the wellbeing of a child can contact the NSPCC Helpline for support and advice on 0808 800 5000 or email [email protected].”
TRIAL
During the trial James admitted she was immature, easily influenced and very lenient with pupils, while teaching physical education classes. But she denied flirting with the boy and going on to have sex with him.
James, now of Chippenham, Wiltshire, had denied four counts of sexual activity with the teenager.
Giving evidence from the witness box in her own defence, James said she began teaching aged just 21 and described herself as “immature” and conceded she did not think she was a good teacher.
She said: “I just don’t think I was ready for it. As my career progressed, I realised maybe I was seeking validation from the wrong people. I think I was a very lenient teacher, I was not strict, there were behaviour policies I would not necessarily follow, such as using mobile phones in lessons.
“But I did not want to upset them, I did not want to anger them. I wanted them to like me.”
Edward Culver, prosecuting, suggested she gave the boy a lift because she had flirted with him and she had breached the teacher student boundary by communicating with him on social media.
Mr Culver suggested the boy was in her car and was able to provide police with an accurate sketch plan of her home upstairs because they had sex there and were in a relationship.
He continued: “Is there any reason why he would tell these horrible, monstrous lies?”
James replied: “Maybe he wanted to look cool in front of his mates.”
Mr Culver continued: “I suggest there’s a lot of mysteries in this case. It’s wholly implausible he was able to provide that plan unless he had been in your bedroom a number of times.
“It’s all explained by you having a relationship with him, having sexual activity with him. There’s no other plausible explanation.”
James replied: “It did not happen.”
She will now be sentenced at a later date.