Assistant head, 37, groomed four schoolgirls to have sex with them

Sean Aldridge allegedly targeted four teenage girls, forming relationships with them using a ‘secret phone’ which he hid from his partner

An assistant head teacher groomed and had sex with female pupils in his office and even told one girl ‘I could go to prison for this’, a court heard today.

PE teacher Sean Aldridge allegedly targeted four teenage girls, forming relationships with them using a ‘secret phone’ which he hid from his partner.

The 37-year-old taught at Warblington School, a secondary near Havant in Hampshire, when the alleged sexual abuse happened between 2007 and 2012.

Opening the trial, prosecutor Robert Bryan told jurors Aldridge had a ‘secret second phone’ which he hid in a jacket pocket in his wardrobe.

While his Sony Ericsson was his personal mobile and listed as his contact number on the school database, his Nokia phone was not known by his partner or the school.

He used his middle name ‘Jack’ as a code name on his secret phone, and two of his victims had the number saved on their phones as ‘Jack Ridge’ to protect his identity.

The father-of-two would text the girls on both of his phones, but would tell them not to send messages to his main phone, to warn them when he could be caught.

His alleged grooming began in 2007 after he gave a pupil his mobile number because she was having ‘problems at home’.

Mr Bryan said: ‘They bumped into each other during the holidays while he was out with his pregnant partner. Aldridge texted her later saying ‘you looked nice’. 

‘When they returned to school in September, they turned sexual. She would stay late after school so they were alone, and they shared a kiss in the PE office. 

‘The victim said her first sexual encounter was ruined because he kept repeating “I could go to prison for this”.

Aldridge, of Southsea, was arrested and charged after an investigation led by detectives from Operation Marmion

Aldridge, of Southsea, was arrested and charged after an investigation led by detectives from Operation Marmion

‘They continued to meet for sex almost every day “at any opportunity”. 

‘In the summer holidays after she left the school, they agreed to have sex at his home while his partner was away. 

‘The girl asked for him to turn over all of the family pictures in the house, and refused to have sex on his partner’s bed. They had sex in the spare room.

‘She thought they were in love, before she later realised it was only sex and nothing more.’

When the girl came forward to police she offered to draw a plan of his living room, which matched police photographs. 

Mr Bryan explained that once Aldridge’s first victim left the school, he became close to a girl two years below her and began texting her inappropriately.

They allegedly engaged in a sexual relationship, having sex both in his office and in his car, which had blacked out windows, after driving out to remote woodland.

He later engaged in further relationships with a further two pupils at the school, allegedly having sexual relationships with them both when they were aged under 16.

The 37-year-old taught at Warblington School, a secondary near Havant in Hampshire, when the alleged sexual abuse happened between 2007 and 2012

The 37-year-old taught at Warblington School, a secondary near Havant in Hampshire, when the alleged sexual abuse happened between 2007 and 2012

The court heard he sent pictures of himself in the shower, which he exchanged for nude pictures of the girls, who each admitted they had a crush on him.

Mr Bryan told the court that the first two victims came forward to police in 2017 after they bumped into each other at a supermarket.

When one of girls mentioned Aldridge was now an assistant headteacher they compared notes and it transpired they both claimed he had sexually abused them.

The first victim told the second woman: ‘He ruined my f*cking life. I thought it was just me this had happened to.

‘How dare he move forward with his career while I spend time with a counsellor every week because of him.’

The court heard he had been reported to school officials on two occasions and to police on one occasion after three victims told friends about sexual encounters.

The first school investigation, a police investigation and then the second school investigation each failed to find any evidence of the relationships.

It was alleged that he would delete all text messages and tell the girls to lie for him as it would ‘ruin his child’s life’.

One victim now says they lied to police at the time to protect the teacher.

Aldridge, of Southsea, was arrested and charged after an investigation led by detectives from Operation Marmion.

He denies a total of 28 charges of sexual activity with four different schoolgirls aged between 13 and 16.

The trial at Portsmouth Crown Court, which is expected to last three weeks, continues.

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