A FORMER Harrow teaching assistant who pursued one of his pupils via social networking sites before having sex with her has been jailed for 16 months.

Jonathan Duffy pursued the girl, who was 15 at the time, while working at a Harrow high school, chatting to her on Facebook and MSN messenger before persuading her to swap mobile numbers.

The 30-year-old teaching assistant, who now lives in High Wycombe, tried to meet up with the girl outside school, and after several rejections she eventually agreed.

Duffy had sexual relations with the girl twice, Harrow Crown Court heard, and after the second occasion when they had penetrative sex, a friend of the girl told staff at the school.

Duffy was arrested on January 21 last year on suspicion of sexual assault. Social services were called in and an investigation was launched.

Detectives uncovered evidence that Duffy had struck up a friendship with the girl before pursuing her online, and he was charged in April this year after a painstaking investigation.

Duffy admitted sexual activity with an underage girl and was today jailed for 16 months. He has been banned indefinitely from working with children and from entering a school or play area.

He has also been put on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Detective Constable Adam Bailey, from the Met's Child Abuse Investigation Team, praised the victim and her family for supporting the prosecution of Duffy.

He said: “I would like to thank the victim and her family for their ongoing support and bravery throughout this process; it has been a very difficult time for them.

“I hope this conviction encourages any further victims of this type of crime to come forward and report it to police so that we can prosecute those who use their position of trust to prey on underage children."