A former teacher, Rebecca Joynes, has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison after being found guilty of engaging in sexual activity with two schoolboys. The case, which took place at Manchester Crown Court, revealed disturbing details of how Joynes, 30, groomed her victims from the age of 15 and even had a child with one of the teenagers.

According to jurors, Joynes began her teaching career at the high school where the incidents occurred in 2018 through the Teach First recruitment scheme after earning a degree in sports and exercise science. The court heard that both boys sent flirty messages to Joynes on Snapchat, concealing their interactions from their parents.

One of the victims, referred to as Boy A, was taken shopping by Joynes where she bought him a luxury Gucci belt before they engaged in sexual activity at her flat in Salford Quays. Joynes had already been on police bail and suspended from her job when she began having sexual relations with the second teenager, boy B, who she later became pregnant with.

Despite the evidence presented in court, Joynes denied engaging in underage sex but was found guilty of six counts of sexual activity with a child, including two instances where she held a position of trust over the victims.

Following the sentencing, Jane Wilson, senior Crown Prosecution Service prosecutor, described Joynes as a “sexual predator”. Testimonies revealed that pupils at the school had taken to calling Joynes “Bunda Becky,” and Joynes herself expressed feeling “flattered” by the attention she received from teenage boys.

The case has raised concerns about the vulnerability of students and the abuse of power by individuals in positions of trust. Joynes will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely and will remain on the sex offenders register for life. The impact of her actions on the victims is said to be profound, with authorities commending their courage in coming forward and supporting the investigation.