A TEACHER at a prestigious Roman Catholic boarding school has been banned from the profession indefinitely for having a sexual relationship with a teenage pupil.

A disciplinary hearing also heard singing teacher David Brown sent the pupil explicit pictures of himself in the bath and encouraged her to take drugs.

The relationship was uncovered when the girl’s mother found explicit texts from Mr Brown on a phone the 47-year-old teacher had bought for the pupil.

Mr Brown began working as a singing teacher in September 2012 at Worth School, Turners Hill, where boarders pay up to £32,100 a year to attend.

The pupil joined the school a year later and in February 2015, she and Mr Brown began exchanging messages by text and social media, some of which were of a sexual nature. From June to December 2015, it is alleged Mr Brown encouraged her to take drugs, indicated he had taken drugs and also sent a picture message of himself in a bath.

In July 2015, the pupil said the pair began a sexual relationship though Mr Brown claimed it was weeks later after she had left. She returned to the school to re-take her A-levels in autumn 2015.

Mr Brown admitted the allegations and agreed they amounted to unacceptable professional conduct in a statement in February but failed to attend a hearing earlier this month.

The pupil’s mother said she found messages on her daughter’s iPhone which contained messages from Mr Brown which included references to the great effect drugs could have during sex.

She also found on her daughter’s laptop a large volume of text messages dating back to February 2015.

The parent said the messages started off “innocuous” but Mr Brown appeared to “prey on her vulnerabilities”and they quickly escalated into flirtatious chat and by the summer Mr Brown had sent naked pictures.

She said the texts were “extremely explicit” and Mr Brown would text the girl asking her to switch to the “safer” option of WhatsApp.

Before their relationship took on a sexual nature, Mr Brown gave the pupil free singing lessons, a part-time job and bought her an iPhone.

The panel said his behaviour did not affect his teaching but there was clear evidence his conduct led to the pupil being influenced in a harmful way.

Decision maker Jayne Millions said the panel found he abused his position as a teacher and the trust built up with the pupil to behave in an inappropriate manner, resulting in him engaging in sexual activity her.

He had not shown sufficient insight or remorse for his actions or the impact they have had upon the individuals involved.