October 2011

Teacher jailed for having sex with pupil, 15, still under investigation

Former Cleethorpes Academy science teacher Kevin Heverin, 34, was locked up for two years and four months for having sex with the 15-year-old.

At Grimsby Crown Court, he admitted seven charges – one of grooming and six of having sex with the youth at his home in Winterton, near Scunthorpe, between July 25 and 31 this year.

After the hearing, it was revealed that detectives are continuing to investigate further potential associations Heverin may have had at the three schools he taught at in North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire.

Investigating officers appealed to members of the public who may have information to get in touch with them.

Sentencing at Grimsby Crown Court, Judge David Tremberg said Heverin was well aware of the age of the boy.

He said the “profoundly inappropriate” sexual activity would not have happened without the student misleading his family over his whereabouts.

Heverin, of Dovedale Close, Winterton, was responsible for the breakdown in trust and communication between the boy and his parents which was “harmful and disruptive”, said the judge. “It is a serious and persistent breach of trust which you should have avoided,” he added.

Even if the pupil had been over 16, he said, the teacher would still have been in a position of trust.

He disqualified Heverin from working with children and imposed a 10-year Sex Offences Prevention Order. He will also have to sign on the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years.

Prosecuting, Jeremy Evans said the sexual activity came to light when the boy’s mother checked text messages on his phone.

The boy had told his mother he was staying at a friend’s house, so his mother contacted police.

In a police interview, the boy told officers Heverin had taught him science two years prior to theaffair.

The pupil instigated contact with the teacher on X-Box Live and gave him his telephone number. Heverin later sent photos of himself naked to his victim.

They arranged to meet, said Mr Evans, and said Heverin paid for his train fare to Scunthorpe, picking him up at the railway station.

Mr Evans continued: “They slept together, showered together and had unprotected sex. They made arrangements to meet the following weekend.”

For Heverin, Richard Lunn said his client was “exceptionally well thought of” and had enjoyed “meteoric success in his career”.

He said: “Due to reorganisation at the school (Cleethorpes Academy), he felt sidelined after 16 years of nurturing his career.

“After 16 years building up a career, it was falling about around him.”

He told how before the affair he suffered depression and was “flattered” by the contact from the student.

Mr Lunn said: “He made a gross error of judgement that will mar him for the rest of his life.”

He reiterated that the contact had been instigated by the student. Heverin resigned from his job immediately after his arrest.

Following the hearing, Detective Constable Tony Wilkinson, of Humberside Police public protection unit, said: “A strong sentence has been handed down. It shows that for people who abuse positions of trust, justice will be brought against them.

“Cases like this are rare. Inquiries are still continuing into other potential students who may have had associations with Heverin.

“We would be pleased to hear from anyone who has information or any other members of staff behaving inappropriately.”

The order imposed on Heverin prevents him from living or being in the same house as any male under 16 years.

He is also banned from using any device with access to the internet, unless it has the capacity to retain its history and he makes it available for inspection by a police officer.

He was ordered not to use the internet to contact any male under the age of 16 years.

Heverin was told not to have any unsupervised contact of any kind with any male under the age of 16 years.

A spokeswoman for Cleethorpes Academy referred to the statement the school made earlier in the year when Heverin admitted his offences.

It stated Heverin had been on the staff of Lindsey school when it was taken over and became an academy.

The spokeswoman said: “This member of staff was fully Criminal Records Bureau-checked by the local authority before he was transferred to Cleethorpes Academy. He had also received references from three previous headteachers stating that he was a suitable person to work with young people.”

Due to ongoing inquiries, the police have requested that the Telegraph do not print the details of the other two schools Heverin worked at. However, we can confirm they are in northern Lincolnshire and out of the Telegraph’s circulation area.

Anyone with information can contact the Public Protection Unit on             0845 6060 222