- Judith Evans pleaded not guilty at Belfast Crown Court to 11 charges against her
A teacher has been accused of sexually abusing a schoolboy in Northern Ireland, it has emerged.
Judith Evans, who has been suspended from her teaching post at Belfast Boys’ Model School, will stand trial for sexual offences she allegedly committed against a male student. The Belfast Telegraph reported.
Evans, 33, appeared at Belfast Crown Court on Wednesday to deny 11 charges against him relating to a range of sexual offences, including engaging in sexual activity with a minor, possessing an indecent photograph of a student, sexual communication with a minor, perverting the course of justice and more.
She had sought to avoid being identified as the defendant in the case, her lawyers citing concerns about her mental health, the risk of the student being identified, the risk of prejudicing the administration of justice and the fact that Evans herself had filed a criminal complaint.
But the judge, citing the “importance of open justice,” refused to issue any order concealing his identity, the paper reported.
Judith Evans (pictured) is to stand trial for sexual offences she allegedly committed against a student.
Evans was arraigned on Wednesday on charges spanning from March 1 to May 17 this year, the court heard.
During this four-month period, Evans allegedly communicated with a student “for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification.”
He was charged with two counts of meeting a child after sexual contact, two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and two counts of intentionally engaging in sexual contact involving penetration with a child.
She was also charged with one count of causing a child to look at an image of a person engaged in sexual activity “for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification” and two counts of possessing an indecent image of the pupil.
Evans was also charged with perverting the course of justice between June 13 and June 27, which related to allegedly making a false accusation of sexual assault against the boy.
She pleaded not guilty to all charges and Judge Patricia Smyth set her trial for November 4. Evans was also released on bail.
Evans, who has been suspended from her teaching post at Belfast Boys’ Model School (pictured), had sought to avoid being identified as the defendant in the case, with her lawyers citing concerns about her mental health, the risk of the pupil being identified, the risk of prejudicing the administration of justice and the fact she had also made a criminal complaint.
Evans’ lawyer, Adrian Harvey, who accompanied her in the dock on Wednesday, previously told the court that his client claimed to be a victim in the encounters with the student, the newspaper reported.
Mr Harvey argued that Evans “is also a plaintiff in connection with these proceedings”.
His attorney, Laura Ivers KC, told the judge Wednesday that the defense is seeking forensic and psychiatric reports before trial.