A MUSIC teacher has been jailed for three-and-a-half years after being convicted of sexual activity with pupils.

Ian Huw Garland, 30, was sentenced on four counts of sexual activity with a boy of 15 and on two counts of indecently assaulting a girl when she was 12 and 14 when he appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court.

Garland, of Stonechat Close, Weymouth, was told the crimes were 'by any measure a gross breach of trust' by Judge Roger Jarvis.

Prosecutor Robert Griffiths said Garland, a concert pianist, had kissed, hugged and performed sex acts on the boy, who cannot be named because of the nature of the crimes.

The judge had previously heard Garland committed the acts between March and September 2006.

Mr Griffiths also said Garland used to run his fingers and a conductor's baton up and down the leg of his female victim, who also cannot be named, during private music lessons between December 2000 and December 2001.

Mr Griffiths said Garland had also sexually touched the girl during a private lesson at his parents' home between December 2002 and December 2003. Garland was found guilty on all counts after a trial at Dorchester Crown Court.

Francis Abbot, mitigating, said he could not see how it would be appropriate for the judge to order that Garland cannot associate with people under 18 for the rest of his life.

He added: "He's a young man and he may want to have children of his own."

Mr Abbot added that the case was 'hard to fit' into sentencing guidelines and that the view had to be taken that Garland had been in a position of trust.

Mr Abbot pointed out that Garland is not a 'trained school teacher' and that people might think he is 'perhaps immature' and prefers the company of young people.

The female victim was described by Mr Abbot as a 'very level-headed, sensible' girl and he said she had stayed in touch with Garland after the offences against her took place.

Mr Abbot said it was also possible that she had developed a crush on Garland.

Mr Abbot also said his client's male victim has a website in which he admits to being gay and had been one year underage when Garland committed sex acts on him.

Judge Jarvis, in sentencing, said: "What you did to these young people in your charge was despicable. It was by any measure a gross breach of trust."

The judge said Garland had taken advantage of the naivety of his victims, adding that it was clear that he had 'groomed' them.

The judge said: "It was plain to me from the evidence during the trial that you were prepared to engage in all sorts of devices."

He added that this included the use of chat rooms to engage with young people.

Garland was sentenced to a total of 42 months' imprisonment on the six charges.

The judge also ordered that Garland be placed on the sex offenders' register for life and be disqualified from working with children indefinitely.

Outside the court, the lead investigator in the case against Garland, DC Lucy Cummings, said: "These are serious offences committed by a man in a position of trust and this sentence sends out a very clear message.

"Hopefully, now, the victims can move on and begin the rest of their lives."