Nottingham Trent staff member told child ‘age doesn’t matter’ during sexual relationship

A Nottingham Trent University staff member told a child “age doesn’t matter” during their sexual relationship.

Stephen Gill was sentenced last week after pleading guilty to the charge of being an adult who abused while in a position of trust/sexual activity with a girl.

Gill worked at Nottingham Trent, as well as New College, where he was a photography tutor.

However, he lost his job at the the college after he was caught in a booth with a 17-year-old girl by one of his colleagues.

Years after the incident, the now adult victim spoke to authorities about their relationship.

According to prosecutor Annabel Lenton, Gill groomed the victim, before starting a relationship with her.

It was said how “he was far more interested in her than anyone else, telling her he understood her far more than her family and giving her gifts such as mix tapes. She described it as ‘a gradual progression’.”

Ms Lenton added: “She said it did not feel good and he told her ‘age does not matter’. He also tutored at Nottingham Trent University and he told her there was ‘specialist teaching’ there which could help with her photography.

“There were booths and sexual acts would take place in them. She said it was sometimes painful.”

Nottinghamshire Live reported that the victim spoke to a therapist about what happened to her. The police were then alerted, and an investigation into the now convicted sex offender began.

Defending Gill, Lauren Fisher said her client had no previous convictions and had recently been working as a self-employed gardener.

She also added that his wife and two children have stood by him during the trial.

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Presiding over his sentencing earlier this month, Judge Michael Auty KC said: “You are a 57-year-old man with a hitherto good character and you threw that good character away, no one else did.

“I have every sympathy for your poor wife and children. Ordinarily, I am someone that does whatever he can to take a merciful course but we need to start by looking at what actually took place.

“She was 17, you were in your 40s, there was a massive age difference between the two of you. She was a child, you were an adult.

“You knew what you were doing, you knew it was wrong and you continued to do it.”

Gill was sentenced to a year in jail and has been placed on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.

Featured image via Nottinghamshire Police