A 23-year-old teaching assistant, bought his 14-year-old student ‘his favourite sweets’ and McDonald’s before intimate relationship

A TEACHING ASSISTANT who had intimate relations with a 14-year-old student purchased sweets and junk food for the boy before taking advantage of him.

Hannah Harris, 23, also allowed the adolescent student to smoke marijuana in her car.

Harris, who was 21 at the time, was sentenced to six years in prison after being convicted of in intimate activity with a child.

She was placed on the offenders registry for a “indefinite period of time.”

The former Henlow, Beds, school worker had denied the charges.

Earlier, St Albans Crown Court heard how she drove him to the supermarket “to buy his favourite sweets,” bought him McDonald’s, and let him smoke cannabis in her car.

She then had sex with the boy in a Wilko car park after posing as the mother of his fictitious girlfriend, whom she named “Kayla,” in order to communicate with his parents via texts.

Harris was apprehended in January 2020 when the boy’s older brother discovered the nature of his relationship with the teacher at his Hoddesdon, Herts, school.

The boy admitted that “Olivia” and “Kayla” were made up names.

Judge Caroline Wigin told Harris during her sentencing yesterday, “Your conduct has had a devastating effect on the life of that young man.”

She found Harris’s behaviour to be a “abuse of trust,” “grooming,” and involving “significant planning.”

“I find that you disregarded all of your warnings,” Judge Wigin said.

“I believe you were well aware that his messages should have been screenshotted and reported to senior staff. That was not done by you.”

Harris burst into tears as the judge read the sentence.

She then had intimate relations with the boy in a Wilko car park after posing as the mother of his fictitious girlfriend, whom she named “Kayla,” in order to communicate with his parents via texts.

Harris was apprehended in January 2020 when the boy’s older brother discovered the nature of his relationship with the teacher at his Hoddesdon, Herts, school.

The boy admitted that “Olivia” and “Kayla” were made up names.

Judge Caroline Wigin told Harris during her sentencing yesterday, “Your conduct has had a devastating effect on the life of that young man.”

She found Harris’s behaviour to be a “abuse of trust,” “grooming,” and involving “significant planning.”

“I find that you disregarded all of your warnings,” Judge Wigin said.

“I believe you were well aware that his messages should have been screenshotted and reported to senior staff. That was not done by you.”

Harris burst into tears as the judge read the sentence.