A former Ashby school teacher has been jailed for more than six years after admitting to committing sex offences against children online.

Officers began an investigation in April, 2022, when Leicestershire Police received a report that John Ewan Myles had been engaging in sexual activity with a teenage girl he had met online.

At the time Myles was working as a teacher at the school in Ashby de la Zouch.

Myles was arrested at his home in Coalville that month, and a number of devices were recovered from the address including a phone, which was hidden under his bed.

Leicestershire Police report that, as the investigation progressed, the girl was identified and later interviewed by officers where she disclosed Myles first contacted her online giving her a fake name and saying he was 18-years-old.

They chatted online for a few months before Myles began sending sexual images of himself.

Examination of the devices found that Myles pursued an online sexual relationship with her and numerous recorded videos calls where sexual activity was carried out between the two.

A video call between the two was also found whereby the girl could he heard saying she is 15-years-old and on some of the videos, she was wearing her school uniform.

The 36-year-old was charged with numerous offences and pleaded guilty however awaiting sentencing, he made a disclosure regarding further offences involving another girl, who was a former student at the school.

These disclosures were investigated and evidence was found that Myles had contacted a further teenage girl online under the same previously used alias name of Jamie Reid, stating on this occasion he was 17-years-old.

John Myles will spend six years and six months in prison

As before, during conversations with her in which she disclosed her age, Myles turned the talk sexual and requested sexual images and videos from her and in return, he would send sexual images and videos of himself.

Myles pleaded guilty to the below offences involving the first victim:

• Two counts of engaging in sexual activity in presence of a child aged 13 to 15
• Two counts of causing a child aged 13 to 15 to watch/look at an image of sexual activity
• Two counts of engaging in sexual activity in presence of a child 13 to 15
• One count of engaging in sexual communication with a child
• Three counts of making indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child
• Two counts of causing/inciting a girl 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity - no penetration

He pleaded guilty to the below offences in relation to the further victim:

• Two counts of causing/inciting a girl 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity - no penetration
• Two counts of causing/inciting a girl 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity - penetration
• Two counts of causing a child aged 13 to 15 to watch/look at an image of sexual activity

He also pleaded guilty to a separate offence of possessing extreme pornographic image/images portraying an act of intercourse/oral sex with a dead/alive animal.

Myles was sentenced to six years and six months in prison at Leicester Crown Court today (Dec 12).

He has also been places on the sex offender register for life and will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 15 years.

Detective Constable Helen Pape was the investigating officer.

She said: "Myles fully knew how old these girls were and how vulnerable they were using this to target and exploit them purely for his own sexual gratification.

"With the sheer volume of evidence weighed against him, Myles had little choice but to plead guilty.

"My only relief is that in admitting his crimes, despite the lasting affects it will have on them, they did not have to face a trial and have these terrible offences discussed in great detail at court."

DC Pape added: "If you have also been a victim of offences by Myles, alias Jamie Reid, please report it to us.

"We have specially trained officers who will investigate your report while ensuring safeguarding is provided to the victims involved."

More information to help keep children safe online can also be found HERE.