A teacher who seduced a schoolgirl and sent explicit e-mails before having sex with her during private tuition sessions was today jailed for two years.

Jason Kevin Ratcliffe, 25, bombarded the girl with more than 130 e-mails before enticing her to have sex with him.

Teesside Crown Court heard that he signed off one of the computer messages: ''lots of love, kisses, hugs, flowers, squeaky springs, dodgy stains - Jason''.

Ratcliffe fell for the girl, who was 14 when the relationship started, while working as a science teacher at Shotton Hall Comprehensive School in Peterlee, County Durham.

He targeted her after discovering she had fallen out with her boyfriend and she was emotionally fragile because her grandmother was ill.

Ratcliffe, of Webster House, Gilesgate, County Durham, admitted two charges of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 16 years of age and one count of indecent assault.

He originally denied everything until his four-day trial was due to start.

The court heard he first cornered the girl in the school deputy head's office one Saturday morning and kissed and hugged her.

The relationship started to blossom in February 1999 - a month after she turned 15 - but he cooled it down after being warned by fellow teachers that he was jeopardising his job.

But the relationship restarted when the girl's parents decided to send their daughter to Ratcliffe for private tuition at his home where it progressed to sex.

Tim Bubb, prosecuting, said: ''One of the features of this case concerns the e-mail correspondence between this teacher and his pupil.

''He knew that she had fallen out with her boyfriend and was very worried about her grandmother who was ill.

''She was flattered but she describes ... that whilst flattered by his attention, she was at the same time shocked and uneasy.''

The relationship came to light in February last year when the girl, who is now aged 17, confessed to a teacher that she had had sex with Ratcliffe.

The court heard that he had become consumed with jealousy when the girl had started a new relationship with a boy at the school and started marking down their work.

Michael Hodson, defending, said Ratcliffe was emotionally naive and quoted a probation report which said: ''He is emotionally congruent with the children of that age.

''Either he chose a career which enabled him to become close to children or if, as is more likely, he has found himself involved in these offences through naivety and on emotional congruence with children.''

Sentencing, Judge Tony Briggs told Ratcliffe: ''You are a qualified teacher and you were in a position of trust.

''Young girls who can be at a vulnerable age and stage of their development are entitled to protection.''

Ratcliffe was given two consecutive 12-month sentences for having underage sex and a 12-month concurrent sentence for the indecent assault.

He will remain on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

Updated: 17.25 Monday, July 23