Teacher sneaked into teen student’s home for sex while her mum was out
A teacher who engaged in sexual activities with a student, who had sought his support, covertly entered her home through the side entrance to evade her mother's Ring doorbell.
Ieuan Bartlett, 29, maintained a sexual relationship with the girl while serving as a trusted welfare officer. Cardiff Crown Court heard that he also coerced her into sending explicit photos.
Bartlett confessed to 12 counts of sexual activity with a minor in a position of trust, including sexual intercourse with the girl. His admission of guilt followed an earlier trial where the jury failed to reach a verdict. Bartlett was set for a retrial but opted to plead guilty to the sexual offenses.
Prosecutor Matthew Cobbe highlighted during the previous trial that Bartlett was the teacher whom the girl had turned to for support in his welfare officer role, but he abused that trust. Cobbe stated, "He gained her trust and her confidence, and for the first few months of getting to know her, he built an ever closer bond with her."
The prosecution asserted that Bartlett initiated a sexual relationship with the girl, exploiting the privacy and isolation of their one-on-one sessions at the high school where he worked. Cobbe emphasized that Bartlett's actions led the girl to believe that they were in a loving relationship.
The girl, aged 16 at the time, disclosed to the police that Bartlett would express his desire for a relationship with her and discussed moving in together after she completed college. She recounted instances where Bartlett would hug, kiss her, and profess his love for her, even suggesting booking hotel rooms for their encounters.
The sexual activities took place during the school holidays in August 2021, including unprotected sex at her home. Bartlett strategically entered and exited through the side door to avoid detection by the Ring doorbell camera.
Bartlett declined to answer questions during police interviews but eventually admitted to having sex with the girl after the school term ended in August 2021.
The prosecutor highlighted Bartlett's request for explicit images after the term had ended, despite the girl's reluctance, noting that possessing such images is an offense regardless of when they were exchanged.
Bartlett's defense lawyer, Sophie Standard, mentioned the significant impact of the previous trial on his mental health, stating that he was undergoing counseling.
Judge Lucy Crowther remanded Bartlett into custody pending sentencing on Friday, May 3.
Comments