HANNAH HARRIS FROM HENLOW AND HODDESDON JAILED FOR SEXUAL OFFENSES INVOLVING PUPIL IN DUNSTABLE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the communities of Henlow and Hoddesdon, Hannah Harris, a 23-year-old teaching assistant, was sentenced to six years in prison after being found guilty of engaging in sexual activities with a 14-year-old pupil. The incident took place in a supermarket car park in Dunstable, where Harris committed the act, which has now led to her conviction and a series of serious repercussions.

Harris, who was employed at a school located in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, had initially groomed the young boy, manipulating him into believing he was communicating with a girl of his own age. She used deception to establish contact with his parents, claiming to be a woman named Olivia and pretending to live in Baldock, Hertfordshire, with her daughter Kayla, who was supposedly the boy’s girlfriend. Harris’s scheme involved convincing the parents that she was a suitable confidante for their son, and she maintained this false identity through text messages and phone calls.

One of her messages read: “Seems Kayla and [the boy] are getting on well, so I am happy to ferry them around,” indicating her involvement in facilitating the boy’s interactions with her fictitious daughter. Prosecutor Simon Wilshire explained to the court that both parents believed they had been speaking to Olivia, as they had exchanged texts and spoken on the phone, unaware that Harris was the person behind the deception. The names Kayla and Olivia were fabricated to conceal the true nature of her contact with the boy.

The deception was uncovered in January 2020 when the boy’s older brother discovered the truth. The boy admitted that the identities of Olivia and Kayla were entirely fictional. This revelation made the parents realize they had unwittingly facilitated their son’s contact with Harris, believing she was a peer of his age. The prosecutor emphasized that Harris, as a teaching assistant, was fully aware of the boy’s age and that engaging in sexual activity with a minor is a criminal offense regardless of whether the minor believed himself to be a willing participant.

During the trial, the court heard that the boy, in a victim impact statement, expressed how Harris’s defense—claiming that he had raped her—had made him feel “dirty.” The teenager also revealed that he had been unable to concentrate on his studies and was undergoing treatment for anxiety and depression, highlighting the profound psychological impact of Harris’s actions.

Harris, who resides at Harrier Mill, Henlow, Bedfordshire, denied four charges of sexual activity with a child, which related to incidents in December 2019 and January 2020. However, the jury convicted her of having sex with the boy in her Mercedes A200 parked at Wilko’s in Dunstable. The jury acquitted her of three other charges, which alleged sexual encounters at Dunstable Downs and her home. Evidence presented during the trial included the discovery of a sexual image sent via Snapchat from the boy to Harris, to which she responded with a nude photograph of herself. Police investigations also uncovered searches related to “teacher-pupil sex” on her phone, and it was revealed that another student at the school was aware of her inappropriate conduct.

Harris showed no remorse during her police interview, according to the court, and appeared to have shown no genuine regret for her actions. She had been employed at the school since 2018, initially working in the IT department before transitioning to her role as a teaching assistant in 2019. Her interactions with the boy reportedly began after he sent her a message on Instagram, which she responded to foolishly, leading to ongoing communication and ultimately, their meeting outside school hours.

Judge Caroline Wigin addressed Harris directly, stating, “He was particularly vulnerable. At the school in November 2019, you were warned about inappropriate discussions with pupils. It was clear you sought to identify with the pupils rather than staff members. In early January 2020, a friend warned you that it was being said you fancied the boy. You denied it. On 10th January, a staff member observed you acting as if you were a couple of teenagers, flirting and play fighting. Despite these warnings, you disregarded them all. You knew he found you attractive and continued to communicate with him via social media, which should have been reported to senior staff. Instead, you groomed him, taking him in your car for trips, shopping, and buying him treats like ice cream and sweets. You also smoked cannabis with him in your vehicle.”

The judge emphasized that Harris’s actions constituted grooming and that her false account of being raped by the boy had a devastating effect on him. As part of her sentence, Harris is required to register as a sex offender for life and is permanently barred from working with children, reflecting the severity of her misconduct and the breach of trust involved in her role as an educator.