A teacher from a secondary school has been sentenced to prison for engaging in sexual relationships with two students. French educator Josh Mills-Afford targeted the students during different school trips that occurred years apart, as disclosed in Nottingham Crown Court.
The 37-year-old, a father residing in West Bridgford, was involved in a physical encounter with one of the teenagers in a classroom closet at the school after the student attempted to end their brief relationship. Both victims courageously shared their personal impact statements during the trial.
One victim detailed the challenges she faced, including difficulty sleeping and weight loss, which hindered her aspirations of pursuing university education due to lower grades. The other victim expressed the guilt of concealing her relationship with the defendant from her family and friends.
In his ruling, Judge Mark Watson sentenced Mills-Afford, now known as Patrick Thomas, to 22 months in prison, emphasizing that the teacher’s actions constituted a betrayal of the trust placed in him by his students, parents, and colleagues.
Prosecutor Mark Bates recounted how the first victim was subjected to inappropriate touching during a school trip at a cinema, which escalated to full sexual intercourse and requests for explicit photographs. The second victim, upon learning of the allegations, came forward to report a similar experience that occurred when she was 17.
Mills-Afford pleaded guilty to multiple charges of sexual misconduct with a minor and abuse of trust, along with one count of possessing indecent images of a child. The impact statements from the victims highlighted the emotional toll and manipulation they endured during the illicit relationships.
The defendant, represented by Simon Eckersley, experienced personal consequences following the public disclosure of the incidents, leading to the breakdown of his marriage and the loss of his teaching job, with a permanent prohibition from teaching in the future.
The identities of the victims remain protected by legal provisions to safeguard their privacy.