Philip McDermott, 59, groped the teenager’s breasts and touched her between her legs at the Catholic all-girl convent school in west London, Isleworth Crown Court was told.
The girl’s father even dropped her off to meet McDermott at Adams’ Sandown Park concert “to suss him out” and later she was molested as they watched the show, the jury heard.
McDermott, of Westwood Hill, Sydenham has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of sexual activity with a child between March 28, 2013 and August 27, 2017.
He also denies two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
The jury watched the complainant’s police video-recorded interview in which she said: “He was my RE teacher.
“I was very vulnerable, I was quite depressed for a while after I was sent a text saying I must be the ugliest girl in the class.
“He groomed me and met up with me outside school and we sent sexually explicit emails to each other and he sexually assaulted me numerous times.”
The girl ended up staying for after-school chats up to 7pm with McDermott when she was fifteen years-old, the court heard.
“He said some disgusting things that he shouldn’t have told me. He said that when he got engaged with his wife they f***** in the bath.
The lyrics of Bryan Adams played a big role in their relationship, she said, with a particular favourite of McDermott’s the singer’s 2015 single: ‘You Belong To Me.’
“The cover was of Bryan Adams with a woman with red fingernails on the cover and we reenacted that in the classroom.”
McDermott also liked the singer’s hit: ‘If You Wanna Be Bad, Ya Gotta Be Good,’ the court heard.
“Sometimes he would play that one in the classroom and dance to it. That was the really sexualised one.”
They used Bryan Adams’ lyrics in emails to express their feelings for each other, she told the court.
“I wanted to help him and make him feel better. I thought we were in love at that point, which is ridiculous.
“He said: ‘I feel a bit different about you,’ and near his desk he put his hand up my skirt and rubbed.”
Prosecutor Szilvia Booker told the jury: “There was touching of her breasts in the classroom and we will hear about an incident in Bushy Park, a day they spent together happily, but sexually.
“He will probably say to you it is a fantasy invented by a pupil infatuated with him, who held him in high esteem.
“She thought her and the defendant were in love and was happy to be his confidante when he discussed images in his marriage.
“They emailed each other Bryan Adams lyrics as a way of communicating what they would like to do to each other and they used Pinterest.”
The girl was even worried her “sexual and indiscreet” messages would pop up on the teacher’s live powerpoint while he was teaching a class.
Sometimes their late classroom dates were interrupted by the school caretaker or another teacher and they would pretend they were doing something else.
McDermott treated her to a pub lunch in Twickenham before a date in Bushy Park, the court heard.
“It was a romantic luncheon with nice clandestine touching under the table,” added the prosecutor. The pair then visited the Waterhouse Woodland Gardens in the park.
“He was rubbing my breasts over my clothing and then inside my bra,” the complainant told the court.
Ms Booker said the abuse escalated to oral sex in that part of the park. “It was quite secluded, boarded by fencing, romantic.”
They were spotted walking together by the school’s PTA head. “It peaked her interest and bowled her over with a feather.
“They both said: ‘Hello’ and were walking side by side like father and daughter.”
McDermott also arranged the Bryan Adams concert. “This sexual relationship was being played out under the nose of her farther.
“Either nothing was happening or they were so outrageous they took that sort of risk.”
McDermott was reported to the police in 2020 and when arrested said: “I’m in shock at the moment.”
Police seized his phone, which still had pictures of the complainant and he had the programme from the Bryan Adam concert.
“Maybe it was to remind him of that clandestine touching,” added Ms Booker.
Trial continues……………
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