Police slam social media users calling Rebecca Joynes’s victims ‘lucky boys’
The force say they've switched off replies and deleted the comments on X.
Police have hit out at ‘incredibly disappointing’ social media comments made after sex predator teacher Rebecca Joynes was convicted of grooming two schoolboys.
Greater Manchester Police shared the 30-year-old’s mugshot on X along with a post updating followers that the trial had ended with her being found guilty on Friday afternoon.
But this morning the force posted another message saying comments were being switched off ‘out of respect of the victims and any survivor of sexual exploitation who may see this’.
Although the content of the offensive messages was unclear, one user commented: ‘Do those saying “lucky kids” realise they’re encouraging paedophilia. Don’t matter what she looks like, she grooms kids!’
Joynes was convicted of six counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child, including two while being a person in a position of trust.
She groomed the youngsters from the age of 15 and was on bail in relation to the first child, boy A, when she began having sex with the second, boy B, who she went on to become pregnant by.
Jurors heard Joynes was referred to as Bunda Becky by the boys, with some making inappropriate comments to her.
Both boys sent her flirty Snapchat messages before boy A was taken shopping, bought a £350 Gucci belt and went back to her flat on Salford Quays where they had sex, with his semen later recovered from her bedsheets by police.
Boy B claimed sexual activity began when he was 15 with kissing and full sex when he was 16 and while he was still a pupil.
In his closing speech, prosecutor Joe Allman told jurors they would not have a ‘shred’ of sympathy for a teacher accused of having sex with two teenage pupils if the accused was a man.
Had Rebecca Joynes, petite, described as ‘pretty’ and softly-spoken, been ‘Robert’ Joynes, a 30-year-old man, and the complainants had been girls, Mr Allman said it would not have been suggested to them they were ‘up for it’ or the ones wanting sex, ‘because that would have been quite obscene’.
And he suggested Joynes would like jurors to forget she is a responsible, mature adult teacher and the boys were teenage children and school pupils.
‘It has the effect of warping the picture, so she almost becomes the victim and the boys the perpetrators,’ he added.
Speaking after the conviction, Jane Wilson, senior crown prosecutor for CPS North West, ‘Rebecca Joynes is a sexual predator.
‘Joynes was entrusted with the responsibility of teaching and safeguarding children. She abused her position to groom and ultimately sexually exploit schoolboys. Her behaviour has had a lasting impact on them.
‘The CPS worked with Greater Manchester Police to build a strong case to put before the jury, including eyewitness testimony, phone evidence showing the messages sent by Joynes and CCTV footage.
‘I would like to thank the victims for supporting the prosecution. Joynes will now face the consequences of her actions.’
Joynes has been bailed and is due to be sentenced in July.
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