by Paul Hooper

A hairdresser-turned social worker’s life is in tatters – because of his obsession with a 16-year-old girl.

Married Steven Snook hugged and kissed the teenager and became sexually aroused – despite being warned to stay away from her.

Now 41-year old Snook from Park Close, Queen Elizabeth Avenue, Margate has been kicked out of his job as a trainee social worker, is now facing a divorce and even his children plan to change their names!

Judge Michael O’Sullivan told him: “You became infatuated with her although in my judgement it was an obsession. Your life is now in ruins...and for what you might ask yourself?”

Prosecutor Pierce Reed told Canterbury Crown Court how Snook had admitted having sexual activity with a child while in a position of trust.

"He was given the task of looking after the youngster who had gone missing on many occasions.

“(Later) her case was passed to a different social worker but Snook continued to have contact with her.

"The police then became involved after a friend of the girl told of another social worker of the relationship.

“Police later seized the teenager’s Blackberry and on it were a great number of sexual messages.

Snook also went to a bed and breakfast hotel, paid by Social Services, and gave her a cuddle, during the course of which he became aroused.

He also sent explicit texts, the court heard.

The prosecutor said Snook had ignored warnings to stay away from the girl after social services bosses discovered he was still giving the teenager lifts in his car and threatened to discipline him.

Instead he continued to shower her with clothes, handbags and cigarettes and the “crude” text messages he exchanged with her filled 250 pages of evidence, the court heard.

The prosecutor added:“He had been warned clearly to stay away from her but sent her a message saying: ‘If you are asked why there is still contact between you and me by social services, tell them that I am the only person you want to speak to.’

“Even though there should have not been any further contact as a social worker, he clearly had an attraction to her, “ he added.

Snook was arrested in October last year and told police he had sent the messages “to try to give her confidence and reassurance” but denied wanting to take the relationship further.

He has since been sacked from his job and will not be allowed to work with children again.

John O’Higgins, defending said the father of three boys was an inexperienced social worker and inexperienced with teenage girls.

“He was in a happy marriage but this was an offence because of his professional position. It was a breach of trust.

"Middle-age men do stupid things and sometimes they get away with it. Not in this case, though. He went too far, way too far but he was not corruptly motivated.

“The consequences have been devastating. For 20 years he was a hairdresser in Canterbury but gave up his salon because he felt a calling and started his training as a social worker.”

Snook wept as his barrister told the court that his 23-year marriage to the woman who described him as her “soulmate” has now ended.

His wife wrote to the judge saying she had forgiven her husband “but he may never have a relationship with her again”.

Mr O’Higgins added: “That he has to live with and as far as the children are concerned it is a blow to him that they are to change their names because of all this. That for any father is a bitter experience.”

Snook was given a two-year community order on condition he gets treatment for his sex offending and will be on the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years.