Julie Morris: Wigan deputy headteacher jailed for 18 child sex offences including two counts of rape
A primary school deputy headteacher has been jailed for a string of child sexual abuse offences, including two counts of rape.Julie Morris, the safeguarding lead at St George’s Central C of E Primary School in Wigan, and partner David Morris repeatedly filmed themselves abusing and raping a girl under the age of 13.
The offences are not related to Morris' employment at the school in Wigan.
The 44-year-old has been jailed for 13 years, four months, plus four years on extended licence for two counts of rape, nine of inciting a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity and two of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.
She also admitted three counts of taking indecent images of a child, one of engaging in sexual communication with a child and one of possessing indecent images of a child.
John Wyn Williams, prosecuting, said the couple met on dating app Plenty of Fish in 2016 after both had separated from their partners and the relationship “quickly became intensely sexual”.
He said: “The communication between them became graphic and depraved which led to some of their sexual fantasies becoming a reality.”
Mr Wyn Williams said the couple’s “sordid secret” was revealed when police found a conversation about sexual abuse of children involving David Morris in a phone seized during a search warrant.
He was arrested but cautioned and released and a number of devices were seized, which showed the recordings of rape and sexual abuse, the court heard.
The court heard how the videos showed Julie Morris laughing as the abuse took place.Mr Wyn Williams said both defendants were arrested the following day as they appeared to be trying to evade police.He said: “They were on their way to the Lake District in a camper van with £10,000 in their possession.”Officers also trawled through 175,000 pages of messages between the couple, revealing sexually explicit communications.The pair had set up a group chat with the victim in which they would talk about how they would abuse her, the court heard.
David Morris, of Sandfield Road, Eccleston, St Helens, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to 34 offences.
He has been was sentenced to 16 years, plus four years on extended licence, in relation to seven counts of rape of a child under 13, sexual activity with a child, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, sexual communications with a child, taking indecent photographs of a child, possession of indecent images of a child, distribution of indecent images of a child, possession of prohibited images of a child, possession of extreme pornographic images and voyeurism.