A gay teacher who indecently assaulted a male pupil at his school has been jailed for two years.

David Tetley, 35, admitted he was "openly homesexual.'' But he denied behaving indecently with the teenage boy after taking him into a cleaner's room at Whitcliffe Mount School, Cleckheaton, in January last year.

Tetley, pictured, insisted that, as a "very huggy person,'' he had hugged the boy for a few minutes because he seemed "down.''

Passing sentence at Bradford Crown Court Judge Gerald Coles QC told Tetley: "What you were doing was undoubtedly, in my judgement, part of grooming that young man with a view to going very much further.''

He added: "I must be careful not to sentence you for what you were intending to do, but restrict myself to what you did.''

No physical harm had been caused to the victim, the assault did not get very far and it stopped when he was asked to do so, but it could not be dismissed as "trivial,'' said the judge.

He took account of the fact that Tetley had lost his job and had left the Boy Scouts Association, of which he had been a member since childhood.

Jeremy Lindsey, mitigating, said his client regretted what happened, accepted it was wrong and that he had caused emotional upset. He was suspended after the allegation was made and later decided to resign. He accepted he would never be allowed to come into contact with children or teach again.

Tetley, of St Matthias Street, Burley, Leeds, will have to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years after his release from prison.

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