Former School Coach Avoids Prison Despite Breaching Court Order

Glyn Harrison, formerly known as Glyn Thompson, has avoided being sent back to prison despite breaching a court order. Harrison, who was jailed in 2013 for having sex with a 14-year-old student while working at a Burnley primary school, was found to have violated his sexual offence prevention order (SOPO) and notification requirements.

Harrison's original offences took place between 2011 and 2013. He groomed and had a sexual relationship with his victim over an 18-month period, engaging in activities that progressed from exchanging emails and nude photos to kissing, oral sex, and eventually intercourse.

The court heard that Harrison had breached the SOPO by having unsupervised contact with a female child under 16 years of age without informing social services or the child's parent of his convictions. He also failed to inform the relevant authorities about his residence, breaching his sex offender notification requirements.

Harrison, now 40, pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for 24 months, with a seven-month curfew and 20 Rehabilitation Action Requirement Days.

Katie Lord, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, stated that Harrison changed his name to Harrison in an attempt to hide his past and avoid disclosing his convictions to the women he dated. This failure to inform them allowed him to continue engaging with them without their full knowledge of his history.

"I hope this conviction and sentence will remind him and others of the consequences of breaching sexual offences prevention orders and notification requirements," Lord added.