Jonathan Coombs, 54, denies seven counts of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust
A teacher and a director of an amateur dramatics group pressured a teenage boy into having a sexual relationship, a court has heard. He is alleged to have told the boy to delete sexual messages between them or he would get into trouble and their “lives would be ruined”.
Jonathan Coombs, 54, a performing arts teacher at Pencoedtre High School, in Barry, was accused of conducting an “inappropriate” relationship with the boy, and would give him gifts including money, a teddy bear and aftershave. The relationship is alleged to have involved sexual intercourse and oral sex.
A trial at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday heard the defendant bragged about the relationship to people, and said: “I could lose my job or everything because of this but I don’t care, me and (the boy) slept together”. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter.
Coombs, of Clos Celyn, Barry, denies seven counts of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust.
Opening the case to the jury, prosecutor Roger Griffiths said: “(Coombs) denies any sexual impropriety with (the boy) whatsoever. The issue for you in this case is did this happen.”
The court heard Coombs would tell the boy he was his “gay guru” and leaned in to kiss him. This happened on a number of occasions, and the boy later told police that things “got weirder and weirder” and he “felt he was in a trap”.
The boy said the kissing between them didn’t stop and he was trying to find his way out of the situation but couldn’t.
Coombs took the boy to see a theatrical production in Cardiff and went to a gay bar, where the alleged victim got drunk.
Later that night, it is claimed the defendant took the boy back to his home and asked him “Are you going to f*** me?”.
The boy said he was given “poppers” which made him feel lightheaded. The boy said the defendant later attempted to have sex with him, but the boy screamed in pain and fell to the floor.
The court heard Coombs pressured the teenager by threatening to take his own life if the boy stopped contact.
The boy also described an incident where he alleged Coombs threw his drink over him and the glass smashed. He said the defendant also attempted to punch him, and told him to give him back all the gifts he had bought him.
After the alleged relationship came to light, the boy said he was told by Coombs to delete all the messages between them on platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and WhatsApp.
He was also said to have told the boy: “If I get into trouble, you could get in trouble and it will ruin our lives.”
The alleged victim later contacted the police and a video interview was carried out, and subsequently played to the court.
When asked by the interviewing officer how he felt about the relationship, the boy said: “Terrible, when I look back now, I can’t believe it’s something that happened. I’ve never thought it would be like me. I never thought for me I would have gone for anything like that. Now I think how did that situation come?”
Mr Griffiths told the court that following Coombs arrest, officers were able to retrieve some of the messages sent to the boy which included graphic descriptions of what he wanted to do to the boy and requests for sexual favours.
The trial continues.
