A teaching assistant who became infatuated with a vulnerable 15-year-old school boy and arranged to meet him in a hotel bedroom for sex was today jailed for two years.

A court heard that Lydia Beattie-Milligan's 'abhorrent' behaviour, which began with grooming, has had a devastating effect on the victim, whom she told she might love, and he has since 'gone off the rails.'

Jailing the mum-of-two Judge Gary Woodhall said: 'I am perfectly satisfied that you were intending to engage in penetrative sexual activity with him.'

Beattie-Milligan's marriage has since collapsed following revelations in the trial about the boy and her relationships with two members of staff.

Mother-of-two Lydia Beattie-Milligan, from Merseyside, was jailed for two years for arranging to meet a 15-year-old pupil in a hotel bedroom

The jury heard that Beattie-Milligan had been compared by a friend in a text message to 'Mrs Robinson' in relation to the two younger colleagues.

The 43-year-old, who is also a qualified beauty masseur, claimed in court that she had been helping the boy, who had various issues, but realised she had crossed a boundary in their teacher-pupil relationship when she booked a hotel room.

But the jury, who heard her text messages included telling him he was amazing and she could not sleep or eat, took just an hour to convict her of arranging to meet a child following sexual grooming.

Judge Woodhall said that within three weeks of him enrolling at the school she had befriended him and breached school policy by getting his mobile phone number so she could communicate privately.

She then sent him messages with kiss emojis and signed them off with the word 'babes.'

She groomed him into believing they were in a relationship with sexual connotations and when he asked if she loved him she said she could not stop thinking about him.

Judge Woodhall added: 'It is clear to me that you were infatuated with him, you changed the way you dressed when going to work.'

'It is clear you were sexually attracted to this boy, infatuated with him and encouraged similar feelings within him.'

He said she told the boy they 'were good together' and booked a hotel room to meet in and sent messages about drinking alcohol together and him not to go home that night.

She told a colleague about her plans, albeit pretending they involved an adult and told her she planned to have sex.

'You referenced trimming your body hair and said you were going to make sure you were looking amazing and going to do a lap dance for him.'

Liverpool Crown Court heard that the teaching assistant was asked if she loved the boy, to which she replied: 'You do batter my head, so maybe'

The judge said she also spoke of getting sexy underwear ' and in your words not mine, said, 'major f****** going on'.'

He added that a psychological report revealed relationships with other pupils 'that crossed appropriate boundaries albeit never sexual.'

The judge continued: 'There appears to be a pattern of behaviour by you acting in a way because of your need to feel valued.

'You of all people must have known what you were doing, why it was wrong and the consequences of what you doing. Those like this boy need protecting not only from others but also from themselves, lacking maturity and skills to make appropriate decisions in life.

'You were employed to protect and help him and for your own benefit, fulfilment and reward breached that significant breach of trust placed in you.'

Imposing a ten year Sexual Harm Prevention Order he said her problems which led to her offending are still unresolved and there 'was no guarantee they may ever be.'

He also ordered her to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for a decade.

Beattie-Milligan, of Merseyside, had denied the charge and told the jurors: 'I have 100% no interest in children in a sexual way.'

Cheryl Mottram, prosecuting, said that concerns about the defendant, who had 25 years experience as a teaching assistant or learning facilitator, first arose when a colleague noticed she was paying the boy particular attention and 'acting too familiar with him in the corridor.'

After she gave him bonus points in art he joked with the boy that he must be her favourite and he showed him his mobile phone with messages from her arranging a night at a hotel for them both on a Saturday night.

She was suspended and the police informed and when interviewed she made no comment.

After Beattie-Milligan texted that she cared about the boy he replied that he cared about her too. 'Does that mean you love me?' he asked.

She replied, 'OMG I cannot stop thinking about you but I know it is wrong. You do batter my head, so maybe.'

Quizzed about this she said, 'I was all over the place at the time. Now I think about it was completely wrong. He did make me happy. I think I may have been a little bit drunk, I cannot remember sending it.'

Beattie-Milligan said that a message she sent saying, 'I have got all these feeling, so wrong, but I can't help it' did not mean 'I wanted to jump into bed with him.'

She claimed that some of the messages recovered, including mention of lap dancing, had not been sent to the boy but to the agency teacher she had had a relationship with.

Other comments about 'getting really turned on' related to a learning facilitator at the school.

An offer to give the teenager a massage was just a joke, she claimed.

Her husband sat in the public gallery during the trial but Jason Smith, defending, said today, 'Her life is absolutely in ruins, her marriage, not surprisingly has collapsed and that will lead in due course to her living with her mother.

'In a period of less than two weeks she has thrown her whole life, her marriage, house and employment into chaos.'

He added that she had mental health problems developing at the time and there had been no sexually explicit conduct and no sexual messages or photographs sent to the boy.

In a statement the boy's mum told how his behaviour has deteriorated over the last few months with his aggression and anger levels increasing.

He now has a fear of professionals. 'He trusted teachers and this is what happened. It now means he is not able to talk to anyone.

'He is carrying all these emotions around with him which he won't let out which is resulting in aggression.

'He was only a child when this happened and he has never been able to process and deal with what happened,' she said.

His mum added that he has threatened to take his own life and while the family could control him they can no longer do so. 'He needs help but will not trust professionals to accept that help.'