Teacher abducted pupil
A teacher has been found guilty of sexually grooming a 14-year-old girl before abducting her in his car. Mark Gethin has taught at schools in Cannock Chase and Walsall.
The teacher was convicted by a jury of nine women and three men at Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday. Gethin, of Lawnswood Close, Heath Hayes, met the girl on a number of occasions in an attempt to groom her ahead of the abduction.
The 40-year-old was also found guilty of one count of perverting the course of justice after he emailed a witness to ask questions about the evidence.
Judge Nicholas Webb remanded Gethin in custody for sentencing at a later date yet to be fixed.
During his trial, the jury heard Gethin drove the girl to a secluded spot near Pelsall at night where he made inappropriate sexual comments to her and touched her hair.
Gethin locked the doors of the car leaving the girl terrified and clutching her mobile phone.
Mr Walter Bealby, prosecuting, said Gethin asked her, "When you are 18 can I kiss you?" and then played with the back of her hair.
He said: "All she could think about at that point was calling the police but she was worried what would happen," Mr Bealby said.
"He kept saying to her, 'You weren't with me were you?' to cover up their meeting.
"He told her, 'You caught the bus home' to cover up that she had been in his car."
Mr Bealby said Gethin tried to groom her and set her up for the eventual abduction.
It has also emerged Gethin was warned about his conduct after the headteacher at a school where Gethin had previously taught discovered he had been texting girls and had even given them lifts home.
He had been ordered to change his number but was given an official warning after he admitted keeping it.
Three days after the abduction Gethin emailed the girl to apologise over his actions.
The email said: "Sorry, dunno what else to say, I let you down."
