A TRAINEE teacher who groomed and “passionately kissed” a teenage schoolgirl has been told he will never work with children again.

Antony James Curry, 27, from Salisbury, was working at Queen Elizabeth’s School in Wimborne when he began a relationship with a girl aged under 16, who cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Salisbury Magistrates Court heard on Friday that what began as a “crush” grew more intimate over time, but never went further than kissing.

Curry sent the victim a Christmas card and brought her a badge from a rock concert. He messaged her on Facebook: “Are you cold sweetie? I would love to keep you warm.

“I want to hold you close and feel your heartbeat.”

In other messages he said he wanted to kiss her. And the pair did kiss on “several occasions” in the spring of 2016, although Curry “did not touch her in any other way”.

Prosecutor Sarah Lodge said: “[The victim] really loved him and was always keen to please him.”

The inappropriate relationship was discovered after an anonymous email alerted staff.

Curry was suspended from teaching and the police and social services were informed.

The girl said Curry had made her feel special, but she now felt angry, used and manipulated.

She lost confidence, struggled to eat and sleep, and her GCSEs suffered, the court heard.

At one stage she even considered “ending it all”.

Ms Lodge said there was “clear evidence of grooming” and a “clear abuse of a position of trust”.

Mitigating, Nick Redhead said Curry had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

The victim had “a bit of a crush” on him, and he had “fallen into the trap”.

“He will, of course, never teach at any school again,” said Mr Redhead, adding that prison would be an “enormous shock” for Curry, who had no previous convictions.

But a probation officer said Curry seemed more concerned about the impact his offending would have on his own lifestyle than on the victim, and had hoped his girlfriend would not learn of his conviction.

Magistrate Elaine Stallard said the case was “extremely serious” and Curry had shown “limited remorse”. She sentenced him to six months imprisonment, suspended for two years, and ordered him to pay £1,000 compensation.

Curry, of Assisi Drive, had previously pleaded guilty to the charge of sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 17 while in a position of trust. He must sign the sex offenders register for seven years.

An NSPCC spokesman for South West England said: “Curry groomed a vulnerable girl with the intention of earning her trust so he could abuse her.

“He acted with no regard for the effect his behaviour would have on his victim, and his actions were even more shocking given the position of trust he held within school.

“Whether this girl had a crush on Curry is irrelevant. The law is very clear - the age of consent in the UK is 16 years old. Laws are there to protect children and stop abuse or exploitation.

“It is right that Curry faces the consequences of his actions and his victim will now require support as she recovers from what happened.”

ChildLine is available 24/7 on 0800 1111 to offer confidential advice. Meanwhile, adults concerned about a child’s welfare can call our helpline on 0808 800 5000.