A former Basingstoke College of Technology (BCoT) teacher was today facing a lengthy jail term after pleading guilty to 20 sex offences, including the rape of a child.

Lloyd Dennis, aged 33, of Sopwith Road, Eastleigh, pleaded guilty at Southampton Crown Court to indecent assault on a male and gross indecency with a child, between July 1997 and August 1999.

He had previously admitted, on July 31, to 18 offences that included the rape of a child aged under 13 and making and possessing indecent photos of a minor, between September 2013 and November last year.

Dennis will now be remanded in custody before he is sentenced at Southampton Crown Court on November 5.

He is likely to face a lengthy custodial sentence, as the minimum recommended prison term for child rape, for example, is 10 years.

A spokesperson for BCoT said today that Dennis taught at the college “for a total of 9.5 hours at the end of February 2014”.

“From what we have been told, the charges are not connected in any way with his time at this college,” said the spokesperson.

She added: “He was a sessional, hourly-paid member of staff with us. We did not ask him to leave; he chose to terminate his employment for personal reasons.”

Dennis had been due to stand trial for four days this week, starting today.

However, this was cancelled after he pleaded guilty to the two offences today.

The Crown Prosecution Service will allow the remaining eight counts that Dennis pleaded not guilty to in July, including inciting a child to engage in sexual activity between September 2013 and November last year, to remain on his file.

It is understood that Dennis was a lecturer in health, social care and education during his short time at the college, and has also taught at several schools in Hampshire.

A spokesperson for Hampshire County Council said that Dennis had not worked in a Hampshire school since May last year.

A Hampshire Police spokesperson declined to comment until after the sentencing hearing.

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