A female teacher “repeatedly had sex” with a “vulnerable” 14-year-old schoolgirl and made her believe they were in a relationship, a court has heard.

 

Ellie Pattison, 29, was 23 and worked as a teaching assistant in East Sussex at the time of the alleged offences.

 

She twice had sex with the pupil in her car and in two of her friend’s homes, Hove Crown Court heard.

 

Pattison denies five charges of sexual activity with her alleged victim.

 

The teacher and student grew close, with the teacher even allegedly meeting and kissing outside the child’s school, it was heard.

 

They were allegedly in the act when one of the girl’s friends saw them kissing and reported them, leading to Pattison’s suspension.

 

Pattison’s partner then reported the “inappropriate relationship” to police, and Pattison was arrested.

 

Sarah Lindop, prosecuting, said: “She abused her position of trust but also made the complainant, who was a vulnerable child, believe it was a real relationship and that she loved her.”

 

They even sent intimate messages and set up cameras in their bedrooms so they could watch one another at night, reports state.

 

Jurors were played the alleged victim’s police interview, where she described her feelings towards Pattison at the time.

 

The victim said: “She told me she had fallen for me and she was in love with me.”

 

She described how Pattison allegedly picked her up in her silver Peugeot and tried to kiss her while the minor was drunk.

 

“We were sitting there and I got even more f****d and she kissed me again and the second time I kissed her back and from that point we started trying to get together,” she said.

 

“I didn’t really have any feeling for her like that before,” she added. The young woman accused Pattison of making her think something “that wasn’t even real”.

 

She added: “It’s f****d me up so bad that I can’t even have a relationship with anyone anymore. Every time I see a silver Peugeot I’m looking to see if it is her.”

 

Pattison denies three counts of penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged between the age of 13 and 15 and also denies two further charges of non-penetrative sexual activity with the child at various locations.