Woman spared jail for sex with 14-year-old

2:45pm Monday 13th October 2008

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A LONELY housewife who had an affair with a 14-year-old as her marriage crumbled has walked free from court.

Mother-of-two Sharon Edwards was today given a suspended prison sentence after a judge ruled she did not seduce the boy.

Judge Peter Fox told the 40-year-old: “Of course you have responsibilities as an adult to reject his advances.

“I can regard this case as an exceptional one and suspend the inevitable prison sentence.”

Edwards, of Elton Grove, Stockton, was given a 12-month jail sentence, which was suspended for two years.

She was also told to undergo probation service supervision, and was ordered to sign on the sex offenders’ register for five years.

Teesside Crown Court heard how she began the brief fling when a last-ditch attempt to save her marriage appeared to be failing.

She exchanged up to 50 text messages a day with the boy – who was said to have had a crush on her.

The affair came to light when Edwards’ suspicious husband looked at her computer and saw a series of chatroom messages.

Edwards admitted four charge of sexual activity with a child and one of offering to supply the boy a Class A drug.

The court heard how in one message the boy asked Edwards to get some cocaine for the next time they met.