A teenager who sent anonymous emails to two teachers – including a rape threat – has been given a referral order and a three-year restraining order against each victim.
Bath Magistrates’ Court
His parents were also ordered to pay the victims a total of £5,000 on Thursday 23rd April, with the chair of the bench at the Youth Court in Bath saying the case was one of the most disturbing they had dealt with.
The boy from Bath, who was 14 at the time he sent the messages, pleaded guilty to three offences.
Between 30th April and 11th July last year, he admitted harassment which caused one teacher to fear that violence would be used against her with “threats to rape her, paralyse her and release intimate images of deep-fake images”.
Over the same period, he threatened to share a photograph which showed or appeared to show her in an intimate state.
She feared it could lead to her being banned from the teaching profession, even though she had done nothing wrong.
Between 8th and 11th July 2025 his harassment put another teacher in fear of violence. He was abusive towards her, instructed her to keep her windows shut, said he knew where her family lived, and threatened to harm a baby.
Prosecuting, Kevin Withey said the police had been informed of the threats, and using technology had been able to trace the IP address to the billpayer.
Representing the 15-year-old, duty solicitor Jennifer Stetson said it was a “serious and unusual case”.
She said the boy, who had no previous convictions, was “so ashamed” of what he had done; he could not explain why he had done it but has since been working with the youth justice team on a voluntary basis and making “real progress”.
Magistrates said they noted the contrast between the “particularly nasty crime” and the polite young gentleman standing in front of them.
The 12-month referral order is the maximum they could impose.
Describing the crimes as having “life-altering consequences” for the victims, the magistrates ordered his parents to pay £3,000 compensation to the first teacher and £2,000 to the second, initially ordering it to be paid at the rate of £500 a month.
Ms Stetson asked the magistrates to reconsider, saying they were “punishing the parents, not the child”. After retiring for a short period, the bench said the amount of compensation remained unchanged, but they agreed it could be spread over two years.
They highlighted that there is a right of appeal to the Crown Court against the level of compensation.
The restraining order bans the teenager from contacting the two women directly or indirectly, and from entering a named school.
No order for prosecution costs or surcharge was made, with the magistrates saying they were prioritising compensation.
Reporting restrictions prevent the Bath Echo from identifying the boy or giving any information that might identify him.
The Youth Court Bench Book, published by the Judicial College, states: “Fair and accurate reports of proceedings, even where individuals are not identified, should be encouraged where appropriate as they can help promote public confidence.”
