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A residential home support worker was given a suspended jail sentence for having sex with a vulnerable 16-year-old boy.

Kimberley Smith, 25, received an eight month prison term, suspended for two years at Liverpool Crown Court today.

Smith, of Grosvenor Road, Wallasey, pleaded guilty to one charge of abusing a position of trust by engaging in sexual activity with the boy, under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, at an earlier hearing.

The court heard Smith was employed as a support worker at a residential home for vulnerable youths in Liverpool, a role described as “position of trust.”

The victim was described as vulnerable having been diagnosed with ADHD and Suspected to have a form of Asperger’s Syndrome.

Smith had been working at the home for around a month, on night shifts, when the offence occurred.

Gerald Baxter, prosecuting, said the boy had attended a party at Smith’s address on Saturday October 12, 2014, where both parties had taken cocaine and drank vodka.

The following Monday police arrived at the address to find the boy hiding in Smith’s bed.

In interview Smith claimed to have let the boy come to her address but said she panicked when police arrived and told him to hide upstairs.

She later admitted having sex with the boy on the Saturday night. Further allegations of sexual activity were not pursued by the Crown Prosecution Service.

The court heard Smith also admitted breaking home rules by allowing the boy into the office area, turning off CCTV cameras to cover her tracks.

Neil Gunn, representing Smith, said his client had no previous convictions and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

He said: “The defendant has learned a salutatory lesson. She has been shamed by the this and her picture has appeared in the local press, leading some people to put two and two together to make five.”

The court heard Smith had experienced a turbulent upbringing and lost her mum and grandma shortly before the incident.

Mr Gunn said she had also lost contact with her daughter, due to problems with alcohol.

Judge Steven Everett, QC, sentencing, said: “I’m prepared to accept you had not been there very long and there may have been issues with training. But it must have been obvious to anyone of the most basic intelligence - and you are not that having obtained nine GCSEs - it must have been obvious that a residential support worker does not have sex with a 16-year-old boy in her care. “There are so many reasons that should not happen, children need to be children.”

Judge Everett said the sexual activity would have “inevitably” damaged the victim.

He said: “Any reasonable, right minded person would realise that it’s wrong, it’s not the sort of thing a productive member of society would become involved in.”

Smith was also accused of lacking “genuine remorse” and showing an “immature attitude.”

Judge Everett ordered her to sign the sex offender’s register for 10 years, to complete 80 hours unpaid work and to undergo a 12 month supervision requirement.

He also warned Smith the Disclosure and Barring Service would prohibit her from working with children.