Somerset teacher who groomed teen jailed

A teacher who groomed a teenage girl has been jailed for five years.

Stephen Michael Boobyer lived in Creech St Michael and taught at school in the Taunton Deane area.

The 55 year-old was arrested in January and today was jailed after admitting to a charge of grooming at a hearing in Taunton Crown Court.

As well as a jail sentence Boobyer will be on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and was given a life-long Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Investigating officer DC Richard Grierson said: “Stephen Boobyer sent his victim a series of inappropriate emails over the course of four months, with the sole aim of engaging in sexual activity with her.

“We launched an investigation after receiving a third party report about Boobyer and he was arrested.

“Despite being interviewed and released on bail, Boobyer continued to set up private email accounts in order to contact the victim, as well as other teenagers, breaching the conditions placed on him.

“His conduct amounts to a gross breach of trust and he’s proven himself to be a highly manipulative and opportunistic offender.

“We’ve worked closely and in partnership with the affected school and the local authority during the course of our inquiry and I’m pleased his guilty plea means his young victim will not have to go through the ordeal of giving evidence in court.”