A former primary school headteacher has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison after admitting to grooming and committing sexual offenses against a teenage boy in Derbyshire.

Robin Scott, 53, was the headteacher of Woodlesford Primary School in Leeds at the time of the offenses. He preyed on the vulnerable youngster in Glossop, Derbyshire. The offenses were committed in the Glossop area and do not relate to anyone at the school.

Scott appeared before Derby Crown Court on Monday, July 23, where he pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of meeting a child following sexual grooming.

After the case, Detective Sergeant Steve Bruce, who led the investigation, said: "Robin Scott groomed a young man and then engaged in sexual activity with him on a number of occasions. I'm pleased we have been able to get this result in court and hope it shows just how seriously we treat offenses like this."

Scott was initially charged with ten counts of sexual activity with a child and one of sexual grooming between February 2017 and June 2018. He later pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual activity with a child and one of meeting a child following sexual grooming, which was accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service. He was dealt with for these charges alone.

The 53-year-old, of Wycar, Bedale, North Yorkshire, was sentenced to seven years and four months of custody.

Prosecuting solicitor Becky Allsop told a previous Chesterfield magistrates court hearing that the offenses came to light when Scott was spotted with the 15-year-old victim and police were contacted. According to Mrs. Allsop, the defendant had been accused of initially being in contact with the youngster via social media from when the boy was 13-years-old.

Mrs. Allsop added that when matters allegedly became more sexual, the youngster was allegedly taken by Scott to a Travelodge.

Defense solicitor Julie Page had told the magistrates court hearing that Scott had spoken to the youngster who had complained about family issues. Ms. Page said Scott accepted he knew the complainant and that they met through a chatroom.

Scott also claimed that it had been a difficult time because his own mother has dementia and was living in a home, while his father was struggling to cope. He was also having to make redundancies at his school.

Ms. Page said Scott's initial contact with the teenager had not been sexually motivated. She said: "He had met a young boy and put himself in a vulnerable position and he compromised his own position by providing guidance and support."

Following the case, Det Sgt Bruce added: "It doesn't matter how old a victim is, what the circumstances are, or how much time has passed. I would urge anyone who may be a victim of sexual abuse to contact the police, or one of our partner agencies. When we receive reports like this, we put all of our efforts into safeguarding vulnerable people and making sure people like Robin Scott face justice for their crimes."