Teacher 'Had 22-Month Sexual Affair With 12-year-Old Schoolboy'

A TEACHER is accused of having a 22-month sexual affair with a 12-year-old boy when he was his music teacher.

Ian Denley allegedly began a passionate relationship with a young oboe player at Bridlington secondary school when teaching him music lessons.

The 63-year-old is accused of kissing and cuddling the boy in a store cupboard as they put books away after a lesson and giving him his first "birds and the bees" talk - before becoming sexually aroused.

Denley, who has taught for 30 years, groomed the youngster with trips out - leading to a sexual relationship, Hull Crown Court heard.


He is accused of sexually assaulting the boy at least nine times both in and out of school when in a position of trust.

His victim, who is now a man, told the court: "He was my music teacher. I remember a lesson at school it may have been a lunch time break. I may have been helping him put the books away.

"We went into a store room and had a kiss and a cuddle. I remember feeling it was a bit exciting. We were not supposed to have been in there. Now I think, no matter what his feelings were, he should not have acted in that way."

He also claimed the teacher - now a lecturer at Hull University - gave him his first "birds and the bees" talk, like a father, but the man then became aroused and assaulted the boy.

The victim claims the only person he told was his sister when he blurted it out eight or nine years ago, until he told his wife when he admitted he was gay in January 2011.

His wife took him to the doctor and he was put on medication and sought counselling, after which he eventually decided to tell police "hopefully to be able to speak about it and be believed".

Denley denies nine charges of indecent assault on a boy under 16, saying the alleged victim "was not very bright and not very musical either".

The teacher accepted he had met the boy, taught him and been on trips, but denied inviting him into a bed or making sexual advances in any way.

He conceded at the time he could have been bisexual, but had a low libido.

Defence barrister Nigel Clive said the claim he had been abused was to take the heat off him after he told his wife he was gay in the collapse of their nine-year marriage.

The trial continues.