Married British teacher Jeremy Forrest was on Thursday found guilty of abducting a 15-year-old schoolgirl after they fled together to France. A jury found 30-year-old Forrest guilty over the episode in which the pair spent seven days on the run, sparking a high-profile international search. The prosecution had labelled the mathematics teacher a "paedophile" who had "groomed" the vulnerable teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
But the girl said in evidence that she had encouraged the relationship. "Jeremy Forrest grossly abused the trust placed in him," detective inspector Mark Ling told reporters outside the court. "It is every parent's worst nightmare to have a child abducted." As the jury returned to deliver its verdict after a two-week trial, Forrest told the girl: "I love you."
She burst into tears as the guilty verdict was announced, and told him "I'm sorry" as he was led away to the cells. He is to be sentenced on Friday. The charge of abduction carries a maximum sentence of seven years. Forrest has been in custody since his arrest in France in September. Ahead of the verdict, his father Jim collapsed in the court and was taken to hospital.