In 2025, the Offender Database reported that Daniel Hawkins, then 28, of Kenneth Close, Prescot, Merseyside, was sentenced to one year in prison. On Thursday, 30 January 2025, Hawkins appeared at Liverpool Crown Court for sentencing after admitting to abusing his position of trust as a teaching assistant to groom a 15-year-old pupil.
The investigation established that Hawkins initially worked at a high school as agency staff before becoming permanent. He began speaking to the victim on a daily basis, sharing food and making flirtatious comments. The prosecution reported that Hawkins told the 15-year-old he would wait so they could attend university together and suggested she was wearing makeup for him. On the day she turned 16, Hawkins followed her on Instagram and told her they “were together,” though he claimed he could not officially call her his girlfriend until she left school.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Hawkins sent the girl a photograph of his exposed penis and a video of himself masturbating after she sent him a bikini picture. Rumours about the relationship circulated at the school, leading two pupils to inform a head of year. Although the girl initially deleted evidence to protect him, she later disclosed the abuse following Hawkins’ arrest. A victim impact statement detailed how the teenager saw “visions” of Hawkins while sitting her GCSE exams, including seeing his face printed on the exam paper.
Judge Neil Flewitt KC noted that Hawkins was more than 10 years older than the victim and was well aware that his sexualised interaction was illegal. The judge noted that the defendant’s behaviour was a grooming campaign that had a significant and lasting impact on the young person. The prosecution emphasised that the girl was entitled to be protected by school staff, not exploited. Despite his defence citing ADHD and autism spectrum disorder, the court determined that a custodial sentence was necessary to address the exploitation of a child.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his crimes in England, Daniel Hawkins was handed:
- Custodial Sentence: One year in immediate custody (released on time served on remand).
- Restraining Order: A ten-year order banning any contact with the victim.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements were activated for ten years.
- Convictions: Admitted two counts of being a person in a position of trust, causing a child to watch sexual activity, and possession of an indecent image of a child.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Hawkins is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Merseyside Police and the Probation Service. Due to the nature of his position of trust and his role in grooming a student, his management is subject to high-level oversight by the Public Protection Unit.
As a member of the Sex Offenders Register, Hawkins must comply with mandatory notification requirements regarding his residence in Prescot, Merseyside. Authorities state that he is prohibited from working in educational settings. Any breach of his registration conditions, his ten-year restraining order, or his post-release supervision will result in his immediate arrest and return to Liverpool Crown Court.
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