Hull school teacher given suspended sentence over sexual messages to pupil
He was cleared of sexual assault by a jury
A teacher at a secondary school in Hull has been given a suspended prison sentence after sending sexualised messages to a pupil.
Jamie Duguid, 26, of Whitley Bay, was sentenced at Grimsby Crown Court on Friday 30th October.
He was given a 12-month suspended prison sentence.
He must also complete 250 hours of unpaid work, will remain on the sex offenders register for 10 years, and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order for five years.
Duguid was charged with engaging in sexual communications with a child and sexual assault.
He pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual communications with a child in November last year, but pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.
Following a five-day trial at Grimsby Crown Court, a jury found him not guilty of sexual assault.
How the investigation began
Police began investigating in 2023, after receiving a report raising concerns that a man was abusing his position of trust as a teacher at a secondary school in Hull.
Duguid had sent a number of sexualised messages to the pupil after adding them on social media.
He had also bought several gifts online and sent them to a postal locker, which the pupil never collected.
Interviews with detectives
Duguid was arrested after the initial report and taken into custody to be questioned.
In his first interview, detectives asked him about his interaction with the pupil.
He answered "no comment" to each question.
He was then released under investigation while detectives continued their enquiries.
Officers were able to track a number of online purchases from Duguid's banking and emails.
They included items such as underwear and jewellery, which police said he sent to the pupil.
In a second interview, detectives asked Duguid about the purchases.
They also asked why he had blocked the pupil on Facebook and Messenger but had been in contact with them on Snapchat.
Detectives questioned him about why he had attempted to conceal his identity on the social media platform and around his search history.
Duguid answered "no comment" to all the questions.
Police response
Detective Constable Rebecca Davison, who led the investigation, said: "As a teacher, Duguid was trusted, however he abused his position preying on the pupil's vulnerabilities and manipulated them after they had confided in him and sought support."
DC Davison said: "I would like to commend them for their courage not only in coming forward and reporting Duguid but throughout the entirety of the investigation and court proceedings."
She said: "If you have been a victim of a sexual offence, I would always encourage you to report it, when you're ready."
She said: "This has been a lengthy investigation working alongside partnering agencies, for which I would like to thank for their cooperation and assistance throughout. Anyone who suspects crimes of this nature are taking place, please report it to us via our non-emergency number 101. Always call 999 in an emergency."