Well, it isn’t just teachers in the United States that have inappropriate relationships with their students.

26-year-old Helen Goddard, a trumpet instructor at the City of London School for Girls, was discovered to be having a sexual relationship with one of her 15-year-old female students.

Ms. Goddard, nicknamed “the Jazz Lady” by her students, was a child musical prodigy, and even performed at the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Sydney, Australia in 2000.  The unnamed girl was a student of hers and they started meeting for coffee after lessons which eventually led to the sexual affair.  Reports indicate that the fair lasted from February to July of this year when another teacher at the school received an anonymous tip to the affair.

After the tip was received, the Headmistress of the school was alerted to the situation and she informed the authorities of the situation.  The police conducted a raid and found the teacher and student together along with an assortment of sexual toys.  Ms. Goddard’s mobile phone was confiscated and text messages of a sexual nature, also known as “sexting”, were found on the teacher’s phone.

Being caught red-handed, Ms. Goddard confessed to the affair.  She went before a judge and plead guilty to six counts of sexual activity with a minor under the age of 16.  (16 is the age of sexual consent in England as opposed to the standard of 18 in the USA)  The judge issued bail and set sentencing for September 21st.  Ms. Goddard faces a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison, and has already been required to register with the sex offender registry.

In an odd twist, the parents of the girl, both reported to be highly educated individuals, say they will have no problem with the relationship if it was to resume once their daughter turns 16.  The date of her birthday was not disclosed.

Ms. Goddard has been suspended from her teaching duties.

This women now joins the roll call of teacher sex scandals for 2009!

• Christine McCallum, Boston, MA
• Lisa Lavoie, Holyoke, MA
• Christy Lynn Martin, St. Petersburg, FL
• Linda Nef and Valynne Bowers, Bountiful, UT
• Sarah L. Tolzien, Richton Park, IL
• Autumn Faulkner, Randolph County, WV
• Lindsay Massaro, Hackettstown, NJ
• Lauren Breslin, Vineland, NJ
• Kristina Anna Baeta, Union City, CA
• Raeanna Jewell, Apache Junction, AZ
• Jennifer Lea Burton, Orangefield, TX
• Tamara Hofmann, Chandler, AZ
• Jennifer Marie Collier, Jacksonville, FL
• Gina Marie Watring, Durham, NC
• Alison M. Peck, Greenfield, MO
• Maria Guman Hernandez, Hialeah, FL
• Alini Brito & Cindy Mauro, Brooklyn, NY (no students involved)
• Amanda Watkins, Muscle Shoals, AL

UPDATE: Helen Goddard has been sentenced