Sheffield primary school teacher travelled almost 50 miles to rape child he was a 'sugar daddy' for
A primary school teacher has been jailed after travelling nearly 50 miles to rape a 12-year-old child he had asked to be a 'sugar daddy' for.
Simon Murch, 55, from Sheffield, previously pleaded guilty to rape of a child under 13.
In June 2023, Murch exchanged messages with the schoolgirl in which she claimed she was 18, and asked to be her sugar daddy.
He also asked her for nude photos and sent her an explicit video of himself. He started to give her money via PayPal and arranged to meet her for sex.
The same month, he picked her up near her house and took her to a hotel room in Stoke-on-Trent where he raped her.
Afterwards, he took her to a toyshop where he spent £500 on gifts for her.
Murch’s crime was revealed in July when the child told a safeguarding teacher at school that she had a sugar daddy.
When he was arrested and interviewed, he claimed that he thought she was 18 years old, however the Crown prosecution Service said it was it was "quite evident from the girl’s appearance" that she could not have been that age.
Murch was sentenced on Thursday at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court to seven and a half years in prison with an extended licence period of 12 months. He was also put on the sex offender’s register for life and made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.
Det Con Jordan Kirkland from Staffordshire Police said: “I’d like to commend the survivor in this case and her family for their immense bravery in coming forward and telling us what Murch did.
“We are committed to working with our partners to robustly target those engaged in child sexual abuse and supporting survivors as much as possible.
“I want this case to serve as a reminder to anyone who may be a victim or sexual abuse, no matter how recent, that getting in touch with us is the first step to securing justice. Specialist officers can speak to you in confidence and stop those responsible.”
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.