My life's in ruins, says teacher cleared of having hotel sex romps with 17-year-old pupil

Andrew Riley, 36, said his marriage and his career were left in tatters after the girl claimed the pair enjoyed a series of liaisons in hotels.

He told the jury that although he had stayed in hotels with her and admitted that their relationship made him feel wanted, there had been no sex.

The 17-year-old, who suffered from low self-esteem and had problems at home, struck up a close friendship with the handsome PE teacher after he took her under his wing.

But he and the girl began to exchange Internet messages detailing their fantasies and sexual experiences.

When the girl went to university Mr Riley decided to end the relationship but she was furious and reported him to police.

Yesterday the married father of two was found not guilty at Preston Crown Court of two counts of abuse of trust by having sex with a person under 18 and not guilty of a charge of offering to supply cocaine.

Sex with someone over 16 is not illegal, but it is against the law if the defendant is in a position of trust and the victim is under 18.

He said his wife Emma, 35, had been devastated by the claims.

'I am relieved that the trial is now over,' he added. 'This has been a nightmare for me. My wife and family have been under tremendous strain and I would now like to be given the opportunity to rebuild my life.'

The court heard that he and the teenager became close at Baines High School in Poulton, Lancashire, where Mr Riley was head of sixth form.

They would often chat and began communicating through the internet after school.

But she was a sexually promiscuous attention seeker.

The jury heard she started sending explicit emails and topless photographs of herself to Mr Riley.

Jurors were told she was a schemer and were shown details of her entry on MySpace - an Internet friendship site.

They included photographs of her licking another girl's breast and embracing male and female friends.

On one entry she said her favourite book was Notes on a Scandal - a novel about a female teacher whose career is destroyed when she has an affair with a boy of 15.

Mr Riley, who is also head of the sixth form at the school, replied to her emails and in one he wrote: 'You are intelligent, beautiful, talented and damn sexy. You are the first person to make me feel alive in a long time.'

The court heard that, during a school leavers' ball at the De Vere Hotel in Blackpool, Mr Riley and the girl took part in a drinking game, which involved passing shots of the Italian spirit Sambuca mouth-to-mouth.

He was said to have shared a lingering 30-second kiss with the teenager.

The court also heard that Mr Riley was not getting on with his wife at the time of the allegations.

Defence barrister Pippa McAtasney, QC, said the girl, who is now 20, was lying and accused her of being a 'bunny boiler'.

When Mr Riley decided to end their relationship the girl pestered him with text messages and in one telephone call, she said: 'You've let me down for the last time. I'm going to ruin your life.'

Mr Riley, who earned £36,000 a year, had told the jury his marriage of 13 years was hanging by a thread and that his life was in ruins.

He said: 'At the moment I am with my wife and kids but it is by a thread. I love my wife and I want to make that clear.'

The mother of the girl condemned him for his inappropriate relationship with her daughter. 'It makes me sick to think a teacher in a position of responsibility, and a married father, preyed on my daughter,' she said.

David Jesson, chairman of the governors at Baines, said: 'Mr Riley is currently suspended from his position as head of sixth form.'