STEVEN WHITFIELD BANNED FROM WORKING WITH CHILDREN AFTER NORTH SHIELDS TEACHER'S SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH SCHOOLGIRL IN BENTON

In October 2007, a disturbing case involving a music teacher from North Shields, Steven Whitfield, came to light, revealing a troubling relationship with a teenage girl from Benton. Whitfield, aged 47 at the time, was found to have engaged in a sexual relationship with a girl who was significantly younger than him, beginning when she was just 16 years old.

The court heard that Whitfield, who was married at the time, started a romantic relationship with the girl after he taught her music at a school in Northumberland. The relationship developed over several months, with Whitfield waiting until just six weeks before her 18th birthday to have sexual intercourse with her. The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was involved in the relationship for a period that included many sexual encounters before she officially turned 18 in March 2006. During this time, Whitfield also took intimate photographs of her, which added to the gravity of his misconduct.

The court was informed that the relationship began when the girl was involved in babysitting for Whitfield’s children, which was part of her duties as a student. Prosecutor Amanda Rippon detailed how the affair was uncovered. Whitfield’s wife, Alison, discovered her husband's mobile phone and found hundreds of explicit text messages exchanged between him and the girl. Among these messages was a particularly disturbing one where Whitfield expressed a desire to pour champagne over the girl’s body, indicating a level of intimacy that was inappropriate and concerning.

Despite the evidence, Whitfield denied any inappropriate conduct, claiming that the messages were merely flirtatious. His wife confronted him about the messages, and in February 2005, she contacted the girl’s parents. Her parents were shocked to learn about the developing relationship between their 16-year-old daughter and her teacher. The girl assured her parents that she would cease contact with Whitfield, but the situation escalated when, in June, a sexually explicit letter exchanged between the two was discovered. Her mother confronted her again, and the girl, now 17, admitted to being in a relationship with Whitfield.

The school involved the authorities, and a senior staff member warned Whitfield to stay away from the girl. The court heard that sexual activity had already taken place before her 18th birthday, with the relationship becoming sexual in January 2006. The pair engaged in sexual intercourse on numerous occasions before her 18th birthday and continued their relationship afterward. It was only in June 2006 that the girl reported the relationship to the police, leading to Whitfield’s suspension from his teaching position.

Whitfield’s arrest and subsequent charges revealed that he had made indecent images of a child and engaged in abuse of trust by inciting a minor to participate in sexual activities. The girl, now 19, had moved on with her life, attending university and starting a new relationship, though she found the entire ordeal embarrassing and upsetting.

During an earlier hearing, Whitfield pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of a child and one count of abuse of trust. The court was told that he was a resident of Manor Gardens, Benton, Newcastle upon Tyne. His defense attorney, Sohail Mohammed, expressed remorse on his behalf, stating that Whitfield recognized his mistakes and would never repeat them. The lawyer also noted that Whitfield’s marriage of 23 years had ended, and he was now living separately in North Shields, with his wife seeking a divorce.

At sentencing, Judge John Evans acknowledged the gravity of Whitfield’s actions, describing the relationship as an “appalling breach of trust.” Whitfield was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 250 hours of community service. He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for ten years and banned from working with children indefinitely. The judge emphasized that both Whitfield and the girl were “infatuated” with each other but clarified that had the sexual activity occurred six weeks later, it would not have been an offense. Nonetheless, the breach of trust was deemed severe enough to warrant these penalties, ensuring Whitfield would never again be in a position to abuse such trust.