HADDENHAM school teacher Gary Lewis befriended a former pupil through an internet chat room, asking him sexually graphic questions and sending him explicit sexual images. But Lewis – a qualified football referee – denied he was grooming the lad for a sexu

HADDENHAM school teacher Gary Lewis befriended a former pupil through an internet chat room, asking him sexually graphic questions and sending him explicit sexual images.

But Lewis - a qualified football referee - denied he was grooming the lad for a sexual relationship.

Appearing at Ely courthouse on Thursday, 33-year-old Lewis admitted two charges of causing the schoolboy to look at an image of a person engaging in a sexual activity, for his own sexual gratification.

Lewis left his job at a Cambridgeshire village college at Easter, and transferred to another college in the county, but kept in touch over the internet with a former pupil, the court was told.

"He was involved in chats that were not appropriate, they were sexually graphic and concerned sensitive information," said prosecutor Angela Sassoli.

"There was discussion between the young boy, promoted by Lewis, as to sexual activity and intimate details about the young boy himself."

During five weeks of chatting, Lewis sent two separate images to the boy's computer, said Mrs Sassoli.

On May 22 he sent an image called "Doctor Laugh," involving two naked men wearing masks and a naked female. Eight days later he sent a moving image with a sexually explicit title which showed a graphic scene between a man and a woman, and a still sexual image of a woman.

When arrested in July, Lewis, of Lester Drive, Haddenham, admitted sending the first picture "for a laugh" and not for his sexual gratification.

But in a second interview, Lewis - currently suspended from teaching and refereeing -- said he had asked the boy sexually explicit questions because he gained sexual gratification by the answers the boy gave, and by sending the images.

"He was in a position of trust; he was the former teacher of the child who was 14 years old. They were chatting over the computer for five weeks, this was not a one off situation," added Mrs Sassoli.

Solicitor Adam Haselhurst told the court: "This was clearly a breach of trust, he realises what he did was very wrong and he will pay a significant penalty. His career is at an end, he will never be able to teach again. He has resigned from his position."

The court committed Lewis to Cambridge Crown Court for sentencing and gave him unconditional bail.