A student who was in a sexual relationship with a teacher who later gave birth to his child gave a powerful impact statement in court as she was sentenced to jail.
Rebecca Joynes was a teacher at a Manchester school when she had sexual relationships with two boys. She became pregnant by one of them and surrendered the baby a day after giving birth.
A jury convicted Joynes of six offenses in June and she was sentenced to six-and-a-half-years in jail on Thursday.
One of the victims gave an impact statement to the court for the sentencing explaining the physical and "massive" mental toll the abuse had caused him.
"I struggled to come to terms with my abuse, I was completely in denial," the unnamed victim stated. "I subsequently held back and did not fully open up to people."
He went on to say, "I was coerced, controlled, manipulated, sexually abused, and mentally abused. It is very upsetting that this has happened to me."
The boy said that Joynes had blocked him from any information about her pregnancy or child.
"Rebecca had refused to let them update me about anything including, due date, gender, health updates," he told the court. "The thought of not being able to see my child was heartbreaking."
Authorities say Joynes was a pedophile who sexually abused the boys.
"Rebecca Joynes abused her position of trust as a teacher and used it to manipulate and abuse two boys," Detective Constable Beth Alexander, of our Child Protection Investigation Unit said. "It is completely incomprehensible the impact this has had on those young men and their families. School should be a place of safety for children."
