A former PE teacher who "exploited her position" has been convicted of having sexual relationships with three of her students. Bronwen James, 30, was found guilty of three counts of sexual activity with a 16-year-old schoolboy at Bitterne Park School in Southampton after a trial at Winchester Crown Court. She also admitted a string of similar charges in relation to two schoolgirls aged 13 and 14.
Abuse of position began with 13-year-old
James first abused her position by engaging in sexual communications with a 13-year-old girl at Bitterne Park School before the offending progressed to a full sexual relationship when she was 14.
The former teacher went on to flirt with the 16-year-old boy in class before they started sending Snapchat messages and arranged for her to drive him to Weston Shore in Southampton, where they kissed in her car, the court heard. This then progressed to the pair going to the defendant's house, where they cuddled while watching Wimbledon on the television, before going to her bedroom, where they had sex.
Boy describes being 'groomed'
In a police interview shown to the court, the boy said he had been "groomed" by the defendant. He added: "I thought this was great, any teenage boy's dream, but I think it was wrong, at the time I wasn't thinking that."
The boy added that in class, James, who he described as "quite attractive", would "slip him vapes" in his coursework and also said she liked him to call her "Miss" when they were alone together. He said: "I always called her 'Miss', I don't know why, I think it was her little fantasy or something."
Further offences while on bail
James subsequently moved to a different school in Wiltshire, where she engaged in a sexual relationship with another 14-year-old girl. After being arrested in August 2023, James went on to commit further offences against one of the students while on bail, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has revealed.
Edward Culver, prosecuting, told the trial the school was made aware of the incident with the 16-year-old boy after another student showed a teacher some text messages apparently sent between the defendant and the complainant. He said: "They suggested a sexually-charged relationship, he was named as 'number 8' in the messages as a cover, him being the eighth man she had slept with. Her photo was visible on the phone screen."
He added: "She acted not only in an unprofessional and overfamiliar way, but failed to recognise any boundaries, exploiting her position to engage in sexual activity with one of her young students."
After the trial, James was convicted of three counts of sexual activity relating to the 16-year-old boy and not guilty of one count. She also admitted four counts of engaging in sexual activity and one count of sexual communication with the first girl, and two charges of sexual activity, one count of sexual communication and making an indecent photograph of a child relating to the second girl.
