Net snares man who had sex with music school girl

Published on Wednesday 15 July 2009 10:09

AN ASSISTANT at a top city private school who admitted having sex with one pupil and abusing another was caught through messages left on the Bebo website.

Ryan Deneven-Lewis, 27, was employed as deputy house parent to look after boarders at St Mary's Music School when he committed the offences.

He encouraged a 15-year-old girl to perform various sex acts on him as they played pool. He also had unprotected sex with a 16-year-old boarder in her room. But Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard yesterday his crimes did not come to light for nearly two years until messages were posted on the social networking website.

Deneven-Lewis, from Headingley, Leeds, pleaded guilty to using lewd, libidinous and indecent practices and behaviour towards a 15-year-old girl and to having sex with the 16-year-old while he was in a position of trust at the school. He will be sentenced next month after background reports and remains on bail.

Sheriff Deirdre MacNeill placed him on the sex offenders register in the meantime.

The court was told Deneven-Lewis began working part-time at the Grosvenor Crescent school in September 2005, and was given board and lodgings there in January 2006. He was responsible for general supervision and care of boarders and taking charge of recreational activities in the evening, said fiscal-depute Aidan Higgins, prosecuting.

Deneven-Lewis was playing pool with the 15-year-old in the school dining room during evenings, and progressed from "playfulness" to sexual behaviour with her, said Mr Higgins.

The incidents continued for three months until April 2006 when Deneven-Lewis began to "distance himself" from the girl.

In March 2006, Deneven-Lewis began texting the 16-year-old boarder and went to her room, where he climbed into bed with her and undressed.

"Between then and the end of the summer term the accused and the complainer would meet either in the accused's room or in the complainer's room if her roommate was away," said Mr Higgins. "The accused, after the first few meetings, would have sexual intercourse with the complainer.

"It was only over time, when information became more complete by verbal reports and messages that were appearing on websites such as Bebo, that a full picture emerged," said Mr Higgins.

A spokeswoman for St Mary's said Deneven-Lewis

had been vetted and added: "He is no longer working here and nothing came to light while he was employed."