Predator teacher Rebecca Joynes jailed for having sex with two teenager boys
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A teacher who sexually abused two adolescent boys, resulting in pregnancy with one, has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison.
Shamed math teacher Rebecca Joynes, who is 30 years old, was found guilty in April of engaging in sexual activity with children. She had a relationship with one student and later became pregnant by another student while she was out on bail.
The young males, whose identities cannot be disclosed for legal purposes, were both 15 and 16 years old when the incident occurred.
The mothers and fathers of the boys witnessed Joynes, who was wearing a shiny gold necklace, a dark puffy jacket, and had streaks of blonde in her hair, visibly tremble and start crying as she was sent to prison at Manchester Crown Court.
Judge Cornell expressed that the defendant's behavior showed extreme arrogance and lack of responsibility. She reminded the defendant that they were the responsible adult in the situation.
You were the one responsible, the person who was expected to act wisely and trusted by the school, the boys, and their parents to take care of their sons.
"However, you misused that trusted position and took advantage of the special role for your own sexual satisfaction."
Joynes cried when she received her sentence on Thursday morning at Manchester Crown Court after a two-week trial. During the trial, the jury learned that she had formed relationships with the boys through playful messages on Snapchat.
She had taken care of them and given one of them, named Boy A, a £350 Gucci belt as a gift during a shopping trip to the Trafford Centre.
After that, she brought the boy to her apartment in Salford Quays, where they engaged in sexual activity two times before Joynes warned the teenager, "We can't let anyone know about this." However, the following day, the boy noticed a hickey on her son's neck and alerted the police.
Joynes was put on hold while the police looked into the situation, but that didn't prevent her from asking the second boy, Boy B, to come over to her apartment for a night out that included an Ann Summers scratchcard with different sexual activities.
In a message to the young person, Joynes expressed: "You are flawless in every way. You are the only thing I think about in my dreams."
Boy B shared that he started engaging in sexual activities at the age of 15, starting with kissing and progressing to full intercourse at 16 while he was still in school.
She was expecting a child with the boy and had the baby a few months ago, but the baby was taken away from her the next day.
The court learned that Boy B's life will be permanently changed after becoming a father at such a young age.
In a written statement for the court, he expressed that he was forced, manipulated, sexually and mentally abused.
Joynes was found guilty of six charges related to having sex with a child, two of which occurred while he held a position of trust.
The court learned that Joynes began working at the school in 2018 through the Teach First program for recruiting teachers. Prior to this, he had completed a degree in sports and exercise science at a university in Liverpool.
However, when she was 28 years old, the ex-gymnast who had trained since childhood went through a difficult break-up after being in a relationship for nine years. She faced challenges during the Covid pandemic and felt isolated. Feeling lonely, she was unexpectedly intrigued by the admiration of high school boys.
Joynes explained that she had a "breakdown" after being suspended from her job due to a police investigation into her relationship with Boy A. She then relocated to her parents' residence in the Wirral.
The judge described Joynes as someone who had achieved a lot but had ruined her career and lost custody of her baby because of her own choices.
She added, "It might seem easy to mistakenly believe that these boys were not victims from an outsider's perspective."
One might wonder why any teenage boy wouldn't be interested in having a sexual relationship with an older, attractive teacher. They would likely be open to the idea. Why should this be considered illegal?
"Well, Miss Joynes, it's clear that a crime has been committed here. Both boys were vulnerable and naive, making them easy targets for the advances of an older, attractive woman."
"You felt uplifted and energized by their focus on you. You were the one with the vehicle, the apartment, the financial resources, and the wealth of life experiences."
You haven't provided any meaningful reflection, and you persist in refusing to acknowledge the wrongdoings. You have also remained silent on the harmful consequences for these boys.
Jane Wilson, a top prosecutor for CPS North West, stated that Rebecca Joynes held a position of responsibility as a teacher at a high school.
“She used her authority to manipulate and take advantage of two young boys in a horrible manner, without considering the long-term consequences it would have on them."
All parents trust that their children will be safe and well looked after at school, but Joynes's behavior has broken that trust.