FORMER TEACHER GUILTY OF INAPPROPRIATE MESSAGES WITH 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL
A former teacher saw his "dream job" ruined after he was found guilty of sexually communicating with a 13-year-old girl.Tyler Hickling, now 26, had been a teacher for two years when he exchanged messages with the teenager in June 2017.
He denied a single charge but was convicted after a trial.
Passing sentence at Lincoln Crown Court, Judge Stephen Coupland told Hickling it was a serious case but he could avoid immediate jail because he had lost his career and was unlikely to work as a teacher again.
The judge noted there were no explicit photographs exchanged but still considered his conduct wrong for a teacher.
Hickling was sentenced to nine months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and must register as a sex offender for seven years.
He also has to complete 150 hours of community service and ten days of rehabilitation.
The court heard Hickling's contract as a teacher has been terminated and he now works in engineering.
He was also engaged to be married and had been suffering from family bereavements.
The incident was described as short-lived, with Hickling sending photos during a few days.
The court acknowledged his prior role as a committed, community-minded teacher who saw his job as his calling, which he got at 22.
