Teacher who sexually assaulted boys sent to jail

Jack Smith has been sent to prison for seven and a half years

A former teacher from Lincolnshire who sexually assaulted 14 boys has been jailed.

Jack Smith, 29, was convicted of 39 charges in November after a three-week trial at Lincoln Crown Court.

The offences included 30 sexual assaults and nine charges of sexual communication with a child.

Smith, of Pleasance Way, Manby, near Louth, was jailed for seven and a half years and disqualified from working with children.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order and a restraining order, which prevents him having any contact with his victims on his release.

Jurors previously heard Smith began working as a probationary teacher in September 2019. He was suspended in March 2024 after the allegations were made against him.

They included inappropriately touching boys and asking how often they viewed pornography.

Smith also asked them explicitly sexual questions, the jury was told.

'Abused trust'

Smith accepted much of his behaviour as described by the boys did happen, but claimed it was not sexually motivated and that any discussion of sexual matters was "innocent".

However, Judge Simon Hirst told him: "You used grooming behaviour and abused trust."

The court heard the guilty verdicts covered 57 incidents.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, one boy described how he had thought of Smith as a friend.

"I kind of idolised the guy," he said. "I feel a bit betrayed. I don't think he should be a teacher again."

A second victim said Smith's behaviour made him question himself and worry, while another said it had impacted his ability to trust people.

Det Sgt Mel Nash, from Lincolnshire Police, praised the victims for speaking out.

"Smith's actions were deplorable and are likely to have long-lasting consequences, but we hope this sentence will help his victims start to move on and achieve some form of closure – even if the road ahead is a long one," she said.

"But one thing is clear - without their bravery, we wouldn't have achieved this result today."

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