May 2008 ‘Sir’ in indecent act with girl, 14 A STUDENT teacher has been banned from working with children for five years after he admitted committing an act of gross indecency with a pupil aged 14. Craig Beeden, 22, was working in his office at a village college in Cambridgeshire on December 13 last year when he was joined by the girl and carried out the act. Beeden was sentenced to a three-year supervision order by Cambridge Crown Court and ordered not to contact the girl. The student teacher had previously pleaded guilty to two charges of participating in sexual activity with a child. The court heard how Beeden, of Topcliffe Avenue, Norwich, had been a student at De Montfort University in Leicester – part of the University of Bedfordshire – and gained a placement at the secondary school as part of his course. He became close to the girl, who cannot be named, and they swapped messages on Facebook and phone numbers. But the victim’s father read an explicit text from Beeden and the teacher was arrested. In court, Sally Hickling, prosecuting, said: “They met between lessons in his office and would kiss. They were careful not to be caught. “Her dad said he saw some of her Facebook emails where Craig said he was deliberately choosing her in school because she was his favourite.” Sally Hobson, defending, said: “Beeden is a good looking man and as he was working in a school there will be some who do fancy him. What he did not do is seek the advice of those who mentor him with how to deal with that.” Summing up, Judge Gareth Hawkesworth told Beeden: “This did not come about because of manipulative seduction which came about because you were a teacher. “This was really a relationship forged in an atmosphere of mutual affection but I want to make it equally clear that not one shred of blame lies on her shoulder.” Beeden is not allowed to enter the girl’s village or work with under 16s during the next five years. He must attend a sex offenders’ programme for 200 hours and inform the police of any change of address over the next 10 years. He has signed the sex offenders’ register. A spokesman for Cambridgeshire County Council said: “In this case we feel that the courts have taken appropriate action. “Craig Beeden was working full time at the college for less than three weeks. He joined the staff with excellent references and a clear CRB check from the University of Bedfordshire. As soon as the allegations were made he was suspended from duty and has not been at the college since.”