Teaching Assistant jailed for Having Sex with 14-year-old Pupil

Fatinah Hossain, aged 25, of Horsham, West Sussex, was jailed for five years and four months for sexual offences against a 14-year-old pupil whilst working as a teaching assistant.

Brighton Crown Court heard that she was working as a teaching assistant at a school in Horsham when she groomed and had sex with the teenager.

Despite the boy’s pleas to stop, the relationship continued for many months.

Hossain continued to fabricate interactions between the boy’s family and herself following her initial arrest.

When he tried to end the relationship, Hossain claimed he got her pregnant.

The prosecution, authorised by the CPS, followed an investigation by detectives from the West Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit.

Detective Constable Leigh Rankin said: “Hossain was first arrested in June 2020 following a report that she had groomed and had sex with a 14-year-old boy from a school in Horsham where she was working as a study supervisor/cover teacher.

“A sexual relationship continued for several months during which she continued to manipulate the boy’s emotions, including claiming that she was pregnant after he had tried to end the relationship.

“Hossain was initially released on bail for further investigation.

“Following this the victim, his family and friends suffered a prolonged and complex campaign of behaviour against them in an attempt to derail the investigation and avoid justice.

“Using fake social media accounts Hossain attempted to manipulate other children, with threats being made against at least one other child should they speak to the police.

“Through fake names, she made significant threats of harm to the boy and his family and said she’d pay him to ‘drop the charges’.

“Hossain was charged with offences in October 2020 and was bailed by Magistrates.

“She then created a number of fake social media accounts using different names including that of a 14-year-old girl.

“Using this particular account, she fabricated messages between her and an adult family member of the boy.

“She then used these fake accounts in an attempt to have the family member lose his job.”

“She then went on to make multiple false reports to the police from further false accounts in an attempt to get the adult family member arrested.

“Hossain continued to attempt to make false reports to police until March 2021, when evidence was received to show that all the allegations against the family were falsified by her.

“This led to her being further charged and remanded until she was convicted.

“This was a prolonged and distressing campaign and we are glad that justice has now been done for the boy and the several other people who became entrapped in Hossain’s web of lies and manipulation.”

Hossain pleaded guilty to one count of sexual activity with the child whilst in a position of trust and one count of perverting the course of justice.

Judge Jeremy Gold QC said the teaching assistant had “embarked on quite a remarkable campaign of harassment” which was “relentless, wide-ranging and malicious” following the “persistent nature of penetrative (sexual) activity over time”.

On October 21, 2021, she was jailed for five years and four months.

Hossain was made a registered sex offender indefinitely and will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years upon her release from prison.

She also received a restraining order, preventing her from contacting the victim and others as well as accessing certain areas of Horsham.