CHRISTOPHER BROOKS FROM LELANT AND NOW ROSUDGEON SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL OFFENSES INVOLVING 14-YEAR-OLD PUPIL IN CORNWALL

In a case that has shocked the local community, Christopher Brooks, a 44-year-old man originally residing in Lelant and later living in Rosudgeon, has been sentenced to five years in prison following his conviction for engaging in a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl. The disturbing series of events unfolded over several months and involved breaches of trust that have left a lasting impact on all parties involved.

Brooks, who had been a teacher for two decades and served as a head of year at a school in Cornwall, was found guilty of multiple counts of sexual assault on a minor. The offences came to light after the girl’s friends handed over notes she had written about Brooks, revealing the extent of their inappropriate relationship. The court heard that Brooks had seduced the girl during an after-school running club, which he supervised. The girl was the only participant in the club, and Brooks would often enter the female changing rooms to speak with her, gradually escalating his inappropriate behavior from hugging and kissing to touching.

According to the prosecution, the relationship began in the autumn of the previous year. Brooks would reassure the girl, who was self-conscious about her developing body, and over time, she became more comfortable with his advances. When the running club ended for the term, the girl continued to see Brooks at a badminton club he ran. It was during these meetings that the sexual relationship intensified, with Brooks taking the girl to a storeroom where they engaged in sexual acts. The court was told that Brooks later took her to his house in Lelant, where they continued their illicit encounters. The girl, who had not previously engaged in sexual activity, did not use contraception during these encounters.

Prosecutor Tony Randall detailed that the sexual acts included full intercourse and that the relationship was ongoing until it was discovered. The affair was uncovered when a friend of the girl handed in her notes, which detailed her interactions with Brooks. The court heard that the girl had become emotionally involved and had visited Brooks’s home when his wife and children were away, indicating the depth of her involvement and the betrayal of trust involved.

During the sentencing hearing, Brooks expressed deep remorse, stating, “I bitterly regret my actions and I have betrayed my professional principles. I betrayed my position of responsibility and there is no excuse for that. I am unable to comprehend my actions. I have lost my self-respect, my dignity and shattered the lives of all the people I love. I will never forgive myself for what I have done. I hope and believe my wife and children will still be a part of my life.”

His defense attorney, David Evans, highlighted the damage caused, noting, “He has ruined it all. He was supporting his family on a good salary but now his wife and children have to survive on benefits.”

Judge Jeffrey Rucker, presiding over the case at Truro Crown Court, emphasized the gravity of the offences, stating, “These are very serious offences for very obvious reasons. In particular, your sexual degradation of this girl was a gross breach of trust. You have lost everything — your career in education, at least temporarily, and your reputation.” The judge also made it clear that Brooks would be banned from working with children for life and would be required to register as a sex offender.

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Rucker acknowledged that the relationship appeared to have been consensual, given the girl’s emotional involvement. Brooks was sentenced to five years in prison and will face lifelong registration as a sex offender, marking a significant and somber chapter in the ongoing efforts to protect minors from exploitation and abuse.