Teacher who became ‘infatuated’ with pupil at Yorkshire school and sent thousands of messages is banned

Rhodri Younger, 42, exchanged WhatsApp messages with the pupil on an almost daily basis, between September 2017 and April 2018, after they met at Outwood Grange Academy.

A Teaching Regulation Agency misconduct panel found he was "motivated by the pursuit of an intimate relationship" with the girl, who was referred to as Pupil A to protect her identity.

In its report, the panel said the messages “appear to start innocuously” but they took “a more intense and personal turn” and he began looking for “ private information and assurances of her feelings”.

“Mr Younger appears to have become infatuated with Pupil A, which would explain the growing intensity in the messages,” it added.

“Whilst Mr Younger did not use sexually explicit language there was a desire in his messages, which built over time. The panel deduced it was a desire to have an intimate relationship.”

Younger, who worked for Wakefield Music Services and was described as “a good teacher who was able to inspire his students”, admitted that he had sent the messages, but denied they were sexually motivated.

In the messages, he referred to the pupil as “my fav” and requested a “cwtch” – the Welsh word for hug – on numerous occasions.

The music teacher told the pupil: “You are an attractive & beautiful person who does not need to change!” and “you’d be a good catch for any lucky lad”.

He said she had “a wonderful & gorgeous smile & laugh” and he was “totally blown away with what u were wearing”.

Younger also made a number of comments about their relationship, such as: “there’s still much I’d like to get to know about you” and “you drive me crazy in lots of ways”.

In one of the messages, he told the pupil he had been thinking about her “all day” and they had a “special connection”.

And on another occasion, he wrote: “I can’t wait to take you out for a drink…I want to see your full dark side”.

The misconduct panel said the WhatsApp messages were inappropriate and he had “significantly overstepped the boundary of the professional relationship expected of a member of the teaching profession with a pupil”.

It stated: "Whilst the panel believed his intentions were innocent initially, it believes that, over time, his intentions changed to that of being motivated by the pursuit of a future relationship with Pupil A.

"In the absence of a plausible innocent explanation, the panel concluded that, on balance, his conduct in sending the messages that he did, over a sustained duration of time, became sexually motivated.”

It added: “The panel determined it would be proportionate to impose a prohibition order, despite the effect that this would have on Mr Younger.”

Younger has been banned from the profession indefinitely, but he will be able to apply for that ban to be lifted in February 2028.