Tamworth teacher's lies to snare pupil for sex

Sep 6 2009 by Fionnuala Bourke, Sunday Mercury

A PERVERT teacher who has been jailed for four years for having sex with an underage pupil claimed he was going to leave his wife to be with her.

Matthew Bartlett, of Peele Drive, Wilnecote, Tamworth, pleaded guilty to ten charges of sexual activity with a child and one of inciting the girl to carry out a sex act at Warwick Crown Court.

The 31 year-old music teacher, from The Coleshill School, was snared when one of the 15 year-old girl’s friends said she had seen suggestive texts from him on her mobile phone.

Police investigations led them to the girl, who was being treated for depression when Bartlett abused her, when they checked out his Facebook site.

When he was arrested and questioned earlier this year Bartlett told officers he was contemplating leaving his wife for his teenage victim, and denied any sexual activity had taken place.

But the girl had confided in her mother that Bartlett had had sex with her, and after speaking to his wife, who encouraged him to contact the police, Bartlett confessed to what he had done.

Bartlett snivelled in the dock as he was sentenced on Friday.

As well as being jailed he was ordered to register as a sex offender for life.