Jail for sex case teacher
A maths master from Cannock who sexually groomed a 14-year-old girl before abducting her in his car was jailed for two-and-a-half years today.
Married Mark Gethin, aged 41, who taught at schools in Cannock Chase and Walsall, was also banned from working with children for life.
He was put on the sex offenders register for 10 years and disqualified from making contact with any person under 18 through the internet for seven years.
Judge Nicholas Webb told him at Wolverhampton Crown Court: "You had ability as a teacher but developed a fatal weakness for attractive female pupils in their late teens.
"You are in total denial about these offences, and the view of experts is that your predatory behaviour represents a high risk to children until you accept what you have done."
Gethin, from Lawnswood Close, Heath Hayes, was found guilty at an earlier hearing of sexually grooming the girl, abduction, and perverting the course of justice after emailing a witness to ask about her evidence in the case. He had been remanded in custody for sentence.
Kristina Montgomery, defending, told the court today that Gethin's wife and daughters were standing by him and indicated that another relative was prepared to give him a job on his release from jail.
Prosecutor Walter Bealby told Wolverhampton Crown Court during Gethin's trial in July how the teacher drove the victim home without sexually assaulting her.
