Sheffield teacher who raped 12-year-old and then took her to toy shop jailed
Simon Murch sent the girl money via PayPal before arranging to meet her for sex in a hotel room
A teacher who raped a 12-year-old girl before taking her to a toy shop and spending £500 on her has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years.
55-year-old Simon Murch, from Sheffield, sent the girl money via PayPal and arranged to meet her for sex in a hotel room in Stoke-on-Trent.
He was arrested after the girl told her teacher she had a "sugar daddy".
Murch told police he believed the girl was 18-years-old, but later pleaded guilty to one count of rape.
Andrew Crump of the CPS said: “Horrifyingly, at the time of the offence, Simon Murch was a primary school teacher who was in a position of trust and had a duty of care to children and although the victim was not his student, it is deeply concerning that someone in his position could take advantage of a vulnerable child for his own sickening gratification.
"By abusing that trust, Murch has caused immeasurable harm to the child and her family. I hope that with Murch behind bars, the child and her family can now begin the recovery process.“
Detective Constable Jordan Kirkland, from Staffordshire Police, said: “I’d like to commend the survivor in this case and her family for their immense bravery in coming forward and telling us what Murch did.
“We are committed to working with our partners to robustly target those engaged in child sexual abuse and supporting survivors as much as possible.
“I want this case to serve as a reminder to anyone who may be a victim or sexual abuse, no matter how recent, that getting in touch with us is the first step to securing justice. Specialist officers can speak to you in confidence and stop those responsible.”