May 2015 Teacher jailed for three years after relationship with pupil The pregnant wife of a former Rydens Enterprise School (RES) teacher broke down in court as her husband was jailed for sexual activity with a former pupil. Paul Shorter, 32, was given three years imprisonment at Guildford Crown Court on Friday, May 8, and was told he will spent half of his sentence behind bars before being released on licence. Last month, Shorter, of Byron Road, Addlestone, admitted two counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust. Shorter was head of mathematics at the Hersham school until he was suspended when governors became aware of the allegations against him more than a year ago. The court heard that Shorter had kissed the victim, groped her and sexually touched her on more than one occasion. Prosecutor Simon Connolly said the victim, who was 15 at the time of the offences, did not want sexual contact with Shorter but “never spelled that out to him”. He added: “It may have appeared superficial that she was willing to participate. Of course, he should have seen past those superficial signs. “She openly describes considering him to be good looking and saying that she, like other girls in the class, had kind of a crush on him.” Mr Connolly told Judge Noel Lucas Shorter had sent emails to the victim from his school account, before switching to continue sending messages from his personal account. In one incident, the girl sent him a picture of her prom dress to which he responded saying she “would look good with it on and without it on”, Mr Connolly added. In mitigation, Peter Glenser, defending, described Shorter as a “young, popular, charismatic” teacher. He said: “The complainant was a schoolgirl aged 15 and then 16. “She was no doubt impressionable because of her age. Teachers are there to educate our children and are supposed to resist any temptation they may feel. “He did not resist that temptation and finds himself here with all that he had ashes around his feet. His life and career are in ruins.” The court heard Shorter was suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the offences and was “simply failing to cope with the demands being placed on him”. Delivering sentence, Judge Lucas said: “When all of this occurred, you were an outstanding teacher. You were liked and respected at that school. “It is plain to me, as I see it, you come from a highly respectable family who remain supportive of you. You are a loving husband and are shortly to become a father to your first child. “I accept a diagnosis showed you suffered an adjustment disorder when these offences were committed. “You will be the first to admit teachers play a vital role in society. Teachers, because of the role they perform, are trusted. What you did was to abuse the trust placed on you.” Judge Lucas said some of his actions were similar to “all steps in the process of grooming”. The court also heard the victim was left “extremely distressed and feeling uncomfortable at school” and Shorter’s actions caused a “significant effect” on her. Shorter was handed a total of three years in prison for the three offences and as the sentence was read out, his wife, who is due to give birth within the month, wailed and sobbed in the public gallery. A sexual harm prevention order was also put in place and Shorter must pay a victim surcharge. April 2015 Married maths teacher faces jail for groping 15-year-old schoolgirl in his car A married Maths teacher at Max Clifford’s old school is facing jail for groping a 15-year-old pupil in his car. Paul Shorter had a series of liaisons with the schoolgirl, who he was giving one-to-one tuition in a ‘serious’ breach of his position of trust at Rydens School in Hersham, Surrey. Guildford Crown Court heard the 31-year-old kissed the teenager after class and also groped her in his car.  The father-of-one, of Addlestone, Surrey, looked shaken and spoke softly as he admitted two counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust.  The judge was told that the girl had not wanted a sexual relationship with Shorter and on one occasion had stormed out of a personal tuition session when he tried to grope her. But that one the instances in question, which took place between December 13, 2013 and January 19 last year, there was ‘ostensible consent.’  Shorter’s pregnant wife Joanne, who is expecting his child in six weeks, and other members of his family watched from the public gallery as the charges against him were read out. But Judge Noel Lucas ruled that Shorter could not be sentenced until a victim impact statement had been taken from the girl to find out how his crimes had affected her.  The pair met because Shorter was her Maths teacher at the school, which counts convicted sex offender Max Clifford and Manchester United and England left back Luke Shaw among its former pupils. Judge Lucas passed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order banning Shorter from working with children or having unsupervised contact with anybody under the age of 18.  The court heard the former teacher, who has been on bail for the past 15 months, had found ‘gainful employment’ in a trade that did not bring him into contact with minors.  The judge was told he has also been paying to see a psychologist, in a bid to help him to fight depression. Judge Lucas said: ‘I am of course sympathetic to the defendant’s wife and the situation but your client must be under no illusion that the sentence I pass is likely to be nothing less than an immediate custodial sentence.’   Shorter was bailed to appear before the same court on May 8.