A DRAMA teacher from East Lancashire who smeared Nutella over the naked body of an infatuated 14-year-old has been jailed for 20 months.

Prosecutors said Andrew Victor Willson even had the youngster pulled out of a science lesson so they could enjoy a romp at a friend’s house.

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He made sure that the girl was returned to the Rossendale school so she could catch the bus home, so her parents remained unaware, Burnley Crown Court was told.

Willson even befriended the girl’s parents over a mutual love of Leeds United FC.

The Fearns High teacher even kissed and groped the girl after her family had visited him and his wife at their new home in the South.

Prosecutor Emma Kehoe said that Willson and the girl then had full consensual sex for the first time — which had not resulted in a charge.

Willson, 48, now of Church Hall, Hollowell, Northampton, pleaded guilty to five offences of indecent assault from the mid-1990s, when his victim was aged 14 or 15 and a pupil at the Stacksteads school.

Ms Kehoe said when Willson arrived at Fearns he was a trendy, young teacher who was popular with a number of pupils but especially the girls.

The victim, who met him while she was in Year 8, shone at drama and was soon being cast by him in lead roles in plays, involving her spending a lot of time in his company both inside and away from school.

Willson’s first indecent assault on the girl occur- red in his office at Fearns High, when he kissed the youngster and rubbed her over her clothing, the court heard.

Ms Kehoe said: “As soon as any contact between them began, she felt butterflies in her stomach.

“She was happy and loving the attention.

“She does not say anywhere that she was not fully co-operating with what she saw as a relationship with her teacher.”

The court heard Willson would later kiss the girl while giving her a lift home and twice involved her in carrying out a sex act on him.

Philip Holden, defending, said his client had lost his job, his reputation and his marriage and would now lose his home.

Willson was anxious as he was the main carer for his severely disabled 23-year-old son.

Jailing him, Judge Jonathan Gibson said he had given consideration as to whether the sentence could be suspended.

“It seems to me, given the pupil-teacher relationship, that simply cannot be,” said the judge.