A woman has been jailed for 10 years for sexually abusing a boy.

Sherley May Bond, now 66, groomed the pupil at the North Yorkshire school where she worked, Judge Simon Hickey told York Crown Court.

The boy, now an adult, told the court: "This has affected me throughout my life without me realising it until just over a year ago."

Judge Hickey told Bond: "This was clearly a high breach of trust.

"The law makes no difference between a male being sentenced for such abuse or a female being sentenced for such abuse."

Bond, now of Abbeyvale Road South, Sheffield, had denied seven charges of indecent assault. She was convicted by a jury of six charges and acquitted on the seventh.

She will be on the sex offenders' register for the rest of her life and is barred from working with children or vulnerable people.

She was also made subject for 10 years to a sexual harm prevention order.

"A sentence of imprisonment will have a profound impact upon this defendant," said defence barrister Patrick Palmer.

Bond had many health problems including heart problems and diabetes and had been a patient of the discredited gynaecologist Richard Neale, formerly of Friarage Hospital, Northallerton, where she had a hysterectomy.

The barrister said: "She is very far from well and hasn't been now for the last quarter of a century or so."

The judge said he had taken Bond's medical condition into account when passing the 10-year sentence.

He added that she had "played up her illness" in efforts to get the case against her stopped or delayed.

The jury heard that Bond was a carer at the school more than 30 years ago when the boy was a pupil there and she was more than twice his age.

The boy told the judge he felt he had "let the school down" by having a sexual affair with Bond and kept silent until he heard of many older people dying from Covid in 2020.

He said he then decided to speak out because "if I didn't do it I may never get the answers to my many questions from the people who were there at the time".

Detective constable Suzanne Hall, together with police staff investigator Jim Allan, both of North Yorkshire Police, tracked Bond down and brought her to justice.

The police officer said: “She abused her position, taking advantage of a child for her own gratification.

“I’d like to praise the bravery of the victim for coming forward and reporting Bond’s actions. He put his trust and faith in North Yorkshire Police, showing immense courage to work with us and bring Bond to justice.

“This investigation shows it is never too late to make a report to the police and that we take these incidents very seriously. We will do everything we can to explore all lines of enquiry and ensure that these offenders face the consequences of their actions.”