It looks like one rule for a man and a different one for a man
Boy wras seduced by Caroline Berriman, from Oldham, Manchester
Appeared on ITV's This Morning with back to camera to protect his identity
Going by 'Jack' he described being groomed by the teaching assistant
He was 15 at time and said it was 'disgusting' Berriman had avoided jail
A schoolboy who was groomed into a sexual relationship by a school teaching assistant twice his age says the ordeal has left him traumatised and unable to interact with women.
The boy, only known as 'Jack', was 15 when he was seduced more than '50 times' by his then 30-year-old teaching assistant Caroline Berriman, of Oldham, Greater Manchester.
But Berriman, who taught at the 1,600-pupil Abraham Moss Community School, avoided jail last week, receiving a suspended two-year sentence - despite admitting two counts of sexual activity with a child.
With his back to the camera and his voice digitally altered to protect his identity, 'Jack' described to This Morning presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield how he was groomed by Berriman +6
With his back to the camera and his voice digitally altered to protect his identity, 'Jack' described to This Morning presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield how he was groomed by Berriman
Two years on, 'Jack' appeared on ITV's This Morning to discuss Berriman's sentencing, which he described as 'disgusting', and to urge others in a similar situation to have the courage to come forward.
According to the programme, two teachers every month are banned from schools in England for having sex with pupils - a figure that's trebled in the last year.
With his back to the camera and his voice digitally altered to protect his identity, Jack described how he was groomed by Berriman via Facebook and text messages.
He said: 'She started coming into my classes doing one-to-one tuition… it was just talking at first.
'The [text] messages increased from "Hi, how you doing?" to talking all through the day even when I was in lessons. It carried on and got more serious.'
When asked if he had a crush on her, 'Jack' admitted: 'At the time, yeah. She made me feel like I was special and didn't treat any other pupil like she treated me.'
Jack then explained how the relationship evolved. 'During the Easter holidays in April she rang me and asked what I was doing and if I wanted to go up to her house,' he said.
'She picked me up and took me back to her house. We just watched TV and talked and chatted about stuff… just chilling out the first time.
'Then it just kept on happening. I started going four or five days a week after school and on the weekends.'
Describing how the relationship turned physical, Jack said: 'She kissed me and I kissed her back. And then things lead on to sexual stuff. I was overwhelmed with the situation, like it was too good to be true.'
Berriman allegedly asked him to run away with her, saying that if he declined to do so it would 'break my daughter’s heart' +6
Berriman allegedly asked him to run away with her, saying that if he declined to do so it would 'break my daughter’s heart'
As well as the suspended sentence, Berriman faces 250 hours of unpaid community work +6
As well as the suspended sentence, Berriman faces 250 hours of unpaid community work
He went on to say how their relationship continued and that she even told her two-year-old daughter to call him Dad.
I'd say, "I'm not your Dad, I'm just your mum's friend",' he said.
Revealing how the relationship became more manipulative, he said: 'She said that I had to keep it secret because if anybody found out she would lose her family, she'd lose her daughter and she'd get into serious trouble.'
By then Jack describes how he wanted to end the relationship but Berriman was making it difficult, so he made the brave decision to tell his mother.
'She was mortified,' he said. 'She didn't know what to say. She didn't want to make me upset and emotional about what I'd been going through. She just sat me down and said, "Look, you have to end it, it's against the law."'
The aftermath of the relationship affected both his social life and school work.
Jack said: 'I couldn't deal with it. I can't look at a girl anymore or be in the same room as a woman on my own.
He added: 'My confidence is just broken, I used to be confident and have girlfriends, and I'm now just shattered.'
