A female assistant principal has been convicted of sexually abusing a student at school.
Catherine Pearl was previously employed at Didcot Girls' School in Oxfordshire, where she was found to have abused her position of trust after engaging in sexual activity with a young girl on the school grounds.
Pearl, from Abingdon, was given a 28-month prison sentence at Oxford Crown Court after being convicted at least 10 times on each count of two counts of sexual activity with a girl.
The Crown Court heard that Pearl and the girl became 'very close' and the conversations eventually turned sexual.
They entered into a sexual relationship when the girl turned 16, and that lasted for several years.
Pearl first sexually touched the girl behind a hill in Didcot while the victim lay under a blanket after asking her to wear 'shorts', the court heard.
The sexual activity occurred several more times, including at bars, at Pearl's home and even on school grounds or around other students, to the extent that they “began to feel normal,” the victim told the court.
Pearl's offenses were reported to Thames Valley Police in 2023, after which a thorough investigation was carried out by the force's Child Abuse Investigation Unit.
Assistant teacher Catherine Pearl (pictured) was sentenced to 28 months in prison after she was found to have sexually assaulted a girl on school grounds
The assistant principal was arrested and questioned in August 2023 before being charged on October 10 last year.
Concerns were raised over the weekend that the school had not deleted social media posts containing photos of her after she was jailed.
Today headteacher Georgina Littler confirmed the posts had been removed.
During sentencing, Judge Nott said: 'This was not a crush on a teenage schoolgirl… this was targeted abuse of a vulnerable person.
'I cannot think of a more gross abuse of trust. You had sex with her everywhere, at school, at your house, in bars… you took risks.
Pearl was found to have abused her position of trust while working at Didcot Girls' School in Oxfordshire (pictured)
'Repentance? I don't see it. You don't regret what you did [the girl]. That is the reality of the paperwork I have read.”
Investigating officer, Detective Constable Sarah Tibble of the Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: 'I would like to commend the victim in this case who has shown so much courage in coming forward to report the crimes and showing her trust in Thames Valley Police. set. Catherine Pearl for justice.
'If you are a victim or have any suspicions about a crime, regardless of when it occurred, please contact Thames Valley Police.
'We have specially trained officers who will always listen to you and support you. You can contact us via our website, by calling 101 or visiting a police station.'
