A FORMER teacher has been sent to prison for a series of sex offences involving children including two rapes of a disabled 11-year-old boy.

Kevin Wells, aged 53, of Bishops Oak Ride, Tonbridge, was today jailed for nine years at Maidstone Crown Court.

Wells was the head of Year 7 at Ravens Wood School, Oakley Road, Bromley.

He pleaded guilty to a total of 14 offences including two rapes of a child.

The father of two was sentenced to nine years for each rape and jailed for between nine months and four years for each of the other 12 offences.

These sentences will be served concurrently.

The court heard police seized a plastic bag containing sex toys, body stockings, and CDs containing 54 videos of child abuse downloaded from peer to peer file sharing networks with a combined running time of nine hours and 33 minutes.

Examination of videos recorded by Wells led police to trace the rape victim.

The other offences included meeting a child following sexual grooming, sexual activity with a child, causing a child to watch a sex act over the internet and making indecent images of children.

None of the children involved were Ravens Wood pupils.

Judge Phillip St John Stevens said: "You're a family man who as a teacher held a responsible position until this course of conduct started.

"It seems this course of conduct reflected in the 14 counts demonstrates you exploring and satisfying your sexual perversion towards young boys.

"You started by downloading a number of child images. From there you entered a chat room and began to talk to young boys, boys at the edge of puberty.

"One such boy may well have been on that chat room, but you preyed on him and corrupted him. You encouraged him to watch you (perform a sex act) and you encouraged him to do the same.

"Boys of that age have to be protected from people like you.

"You filmed and recorded what you encouraged him to do and kept a library of these."

Detective Sergeant David Shipley from Kent Police's public protection unit said: "Wells was in contact with a number of vulnerable children, for his own sexual gratification.

"He went further than online offending, and met with a very vulnerable and young child, where serious sexual offences took place.

"This case is an example of how online behaviour can change to real world abuse, and should highlight the dangers of child exploitation online and that these are real children with real lives that are damaged.

"I am pleased that the public protection crime unit has been able to put a stop to his activities and prevent any further abuse being inflicted, viewed or downloaded.

"People who engage in these type of offences will be arrested and put before the courts."

A Bromley Council spokeswoman said: "The local authority can confirm that Mr Wells was a teacher at a Bromley School.

"Normal safeguarding procedures were followed as soon as the school was made aware that a police investigation was under way.

"Mr Wells was suspended immediately and he subsequently resigned from his post.

"The school’s own investigation and that of the police found no evidence whatsoever of any wrongdoing connected with the school, its pupils, staff or equipment.”