Disgraced teacher admits to taking girls on trips for sex

A TEACHER took two girls at the school where he taught on trips to have sex with him, a court has heard.

Married Christopher Cunningham, 58, began sexual relationships with them as soon as they turned 16 years old, Livingston Sheriff Court was told yesterday.

The art teacher took them to a wood in West Lothian and had sex with both of them in each other's presence, taking one of the girl's virginity.

His home was raided after one of the teenagers sent letters to the school, and Cunningham tried to take his own life.

The father-of-two yesterday admitted abusing his position of trust to form sexual relationships with the two girls. He was placed on the sex offenders register and sentence was deferred for background reports.

Fiscal depute Jane Hilditch told the court how the relationships began in May 2008 after the girls had turned 16.

Miss Hilditch said: "The accused as a teacher has repeatedly abused his position of trust by having sexual intercourse with the pupils named in the charge.

"At the time of the offences the girls were aged between 16 and 19 years and one of the pupils was in his art class. Both the pupils came from problematic backgrounds and both confided in him about the problems."

Miss Hilditch said that on 4 May 2008 Cunningham took the girls to Camilty Woods in West Lothian in his estate car.

Once there he took a tent from the vehicle and set it up in the woods and had sex with one of the girls in front of the other.

Later that month he returned to the same woods and this time had sex with both girls, again in the presence of the other.

Miss Hilditch outlined a string of liaisons during that summer, including days at Cunningham's mother's home in Fife.

But, towards the end of the year, one of the girls started a new relationship and stopped seeing Cunningham.

She went on to fall out with the other girl over her continuation of her affair with the married teacher. Cunningham again abused his position of trust to take the youngster to Gullane Beach in East Lothian.

But over the summer of 2009 the first girl - who had stopped seeing Cunningham - wrote two letters to the school, revealing Cunningham's behaviour.

Miss Hilditch said: "Staff opened the letters and were able to identify the accused and the two girls."

On 23 August last year officers raided Cunningham's home in Edinburgh's Crighton Place, seizing a blanket and a tent. Cunningham broke down and confessed the affairs to his wife.

Miss Hilditch said: "He spoke with his wife and said that he was sorry. He then stated that a letter had been received by the school accusing him of having sex with one of the girls.

"He told his wife that he had had consensual intercourse with both the girls and the accused apologised to his wife.

"After the police left the accused told her that he was not able to quantify how often it had happened.

He told his wife that they were flirtatious and sexually promiscuous."

The next day the teacher tried to take his own life but was unsuccessful and was later suspended from his 30,000 per year position at the school.

After his release from hospital he was interviewed by police admitted having sex with the girls. Sheriff Grahame Fleming deferred sentence for background reports until August and Cunningham was bailed until then. z