A former PE teacher has denied sexually abusing a pupil, as her trial continues at Winchester Crown Court.
The charges
Bronwen James, 30, from Chippenham, Wiltshire, has pleaded not guilty to four counts of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust. Prosecutors allege the relationship began while James was teaching at Bitterne Park School in Southampton, after contact between her and the then-16-year-old pupil moved from the classroom to Snapchat.
How the case came to light
The court heard the case was brought to a teacher's attention after another pupil showed them messages exchanged between James and the boy. James was later interviewed under caution and provided a prepared statement denying any sexual relationship, suggesting the allegations had been influenced by another student.
The "Number 8" contact name
Prosecutor Edward Culver told the court that James had saved the boy's number under the name "Number 8" in her phone, alleging this referred to him being the eighth person she had slept with, and that the name was intended as a way of disguising his identity in her contacts.
Prosecution's case
Culver told the jury the central question for the trial is whether the alleged encounters took place as described. He argued that, regardless of her intentions, James acted unprofessionally and failed to maintain appropriate boundaries in her position as a teacher.
The trial continues.
