A former school teacher wept as a court heard how he groomed a child by sending her sex messages on Instagram.

Now James Hughes has resigned from his post after police were called in to investigate the messages which were sent two years ago.

History teacher Hughes is now prohibited from working with children, Maidstone Crown Court heard.

The 27-year-old, of Sidney Road, Gillingham now works part-time selling wine after his fall from grace.

He admitted sexually communicating with a child after befriending the victim and sending messages on Instagram.

Prosecutor Francesca Levett told how he began commenting on photos that she had posted, calling her "cute".

"They began communicating over the internet and that chat turned into grooming," she said.

"Conversations started crossing the line when he talked to her privately how it was normal to want sex.

"He would call her 'gorge' – which was short for gorgeous – and told her that she looked beautiful. Those conversations then became explicit."

The prosecutor added that in one of the 'chats' he offered his 13-year-old victim pizza as a reward if she posed for him in a sexual way.

But when he realised he was going to be arrested he sent a request to her asking for her to delete all his sordid messages.

Among them were ones describing what he was doing as "dangerous and fun" but which "brightens my days".

'As a teacher, Hughes would have been very aware of the risks that face children and the potential harm they can suffer...'

But the judge Recorder Patricia Hitchcock heard the victim was left feeling "guilty, worthless and ashamed" and her mother later described Hughes as a "predator".

Nick Jones, defending, said Hughes regretted his behaviour and was "truly sorry for the damage he has done".

"He now realises that he will never teach again," he added.

Hughes was given a 14-month jail sentence suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work. He will also remain on the Sex Offender's Register for 10 years.

The judge also took the unusual decision to order him to pay the mother of the victim £500 compensation together with £425 in prosecution costs.

An NSPCC spokesperson said: “As a teacher, Hughes would have been very aware of the risks that face children and the potential harm they can suffer.

"However, he chose to ignore this, prioritising his own gratification. We hope that the child he groomed is now receiving the support she needs to move on with her life.

“This case also highlights the need for a robust Online Safety Bill to help ensure offenders like Hughes cannot easily contact children on platforms like Instagram.

"The NSPCC will continue to campaign to ensure the proposed legislation is fit for purpose and properly protects children from avoidable online harms.”

Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or through the Childline website www.childline.org.uk.

Adults with concerns about a child’s wellbeing can call the NSPCC helpline on 0808 8005000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk.