Married instructor, 40, struck off for sexually assaulting schoolgirl arrange a kids’s celebration enterprise for tots as younger as one
A teacher struck off for ‘sexually assaulting’ a schoolgirl set up a children’s party business for tots as young as one, MailOnline can reveal.
Married father-of-three Jeremy Cotton, 40, was working as a computing teacher at Perins School for 11 to 16-year-olds in Alresford, Hampshire, when he was accused of feeling up one of his female pupils.
A schoolgirl who he taught from the age of 11 to 16 said he took her to his office during an open day, ran his hand up her skirt and penetrated her with his fingers.
The alleged sexual assault came after he sent her lewd emails and messages demanding sexual favours and telling her what he wanted to do with her.
Cotton was warned by the school to stop messaging the student after he sent her 100 emails in the space of just a single month.
He was later interviewed by police after the pupil alleged Cotton sexusally assaulted her, a claim the teacher denied. The police did not charge him with the offence.
However, during a professional conduct panel from February 24 to 28 this year, the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) found it ‘was satisfied that it was more likely than not’ that he had sexually assaulted her as she alleged.
During his time at the school he helped his wife, who was an English teacher, set up a train-themed children’s party business, which she runs to this day. The pair are still believed to be married.
Jeremy Cotton, 40, (left, with his wife Chloe Cotton) was working as a computing teacher at Perins School when he began inappropriately messaging a pupil
According to Companies House, Jeremy Cotton was the director of Trainmaster from May 2019 until August 2021, which hosts train-themed parties for kids. The company’s director is now his wife, Chloe Cotton
Trainmaster runs parties across the country for children as young as just one year old (File image)
The TRA heard that her husband Jeremy Cotton began working at Perins School in Alresford, Hampshire, in 2014.
In May 2018 he exchanged messages with a female pupil over Instagram.
After the pupil’s mother saw these messages and reported the teacher to the school, Cotton was given a management advisory letter.
The social media messages stopped but then during a lesson, Cotton taught the pupil how to use an encrypted messaging system.
She was told messages would be automatically deleted after exiting the browser.
The two exchanged messages over the site between 2019 and 2020. Messages between the pair included descriptions of sexual acts Cotton wanted to do to the pupil.
He also asked her to send pictures of herself in a wet uniform and made comments about the length of her school skirt.
Between January 7 and February 5, 2020, he sent more than 100 emails to the student.
He would also write notes for her and slip them into her revision book.
As well as teaching Cotton set up a party business for young children.
According to Companies House, he was the director of Trainmaster from May 2019 until August 2021, which hosts train-themed parties for kids.
Their website markets their sessions for children aged 18 months to six years old.
The company’s director is now his wife, Chloe Cotton.
In around 2019 to 2020, the TRA heard he inappropriately touched the pupil at school.
In the pupil’s evidence she said she attended an open evening at the school to help promote the computer science class.
She was asked to go into Cotton’s office with him while there was no one else present.
They were in the room alone when he started to touch the pupil’s thighs and ran his hand up her skirt.
In 2022 a complaint was made to Hampshire Police regarding this alleged sexual assault.
There was a criminal investigation and Cotton was interviewed but not charged.
During an argument the pupil’s mother took her phone and saw some of the messages on the encrypted site.
In May 2020 the pupil’s parents attended the school to raise a concern about Cotton’s recent contact with their daughter.
The married teacher was warned by school bosses to stop messaging his student – who he had emailed 100 times in the space of a month
Cotton began working at Perins School (pictured) in Alresford, Hampshire, in 2014, where he was responsible for drafting many of the school’s IT policies
An investigation was started by the school and before this was completed, Cotton resigned in July 2020.
In a written response to the school’s investigation Cotton accepted that he had been in contact with the pupil over the encrypted site.
He said: ‘This was a big error of judgement on my part for which I am sorry and I concede this is selfishly because I thought it would just make life easier for myself and her.’
He said the intention behind the contact was pastoral.
In August 2020, the school made a referral to the TRA.
Cotton was not present at the hearing but provided a statement, which said: ‘This was over five years ago and I have a new career away from education.
‘Five years is not a reasonable amount of time to have taken to drag this all back up.
‘People have moved on with their lives.
‘The TRA without fail, always side with the student when it comes to things like this. I cannot see the point!’
Cotton has been banned from teaching indefinitely and cannot apply for this to be revoked.
