© By Sophie Lewis | The Grooming Files | @sophielewiseditorial
Part 1 of 5: The Female Predators Series
She was 50 years old. A deputy head teacher. Trusted with safeguarding vulnerable girls.
Catherine Pearl sexually abused a pupil for years, including on school grounds.
On 24 January 2025, at Oxford Crown Court, she was sentenced to 2 years and 4 months in prison.
Most people have never heard of her.
But everyone knows about Rebecca Joynes, the 30-year-old Manchester teacher who groomed two teenage boys, became pregnant by one, and received 6.5 years.
Why?
Because we’re conditioned to see male predators. Female ones operate in a blind spot we refuse to acknowledge.
And that invisibility is costing children their safety.
TWO CASES, TWO CONVICTIONS, ONE INVISIBLE PATTERN
January 2025: Catherine Pearl
The Facts:
Catherine Pearl, aged 50, from Abingdon, worked as deputy head teacher at Didcot Girls’ School in Oxfordshire whilst her victim was a pupil at the school.
She pleaded guilty in November 2024 to two counts of sexual activity with a girl as an adult abusing a position of trust.
She was sentenced to 2 years and 4 months in prison at Oxford Crown Court on Friday, 24 January 2025, by Judge Emma Nott.
The Timeline:
- Offences reported to Thames Valley Police in 2023
- Pearl arrested on 9 August 2023
- Charged on 10 October 2024
- Pleaded guilty November 2024
- Sentenced 24 January 2025
What the Court Established:
The Court of Appeal judgement in July 2025 confirmed that Pearl’s offending:
- Occurred over “a period of years”
- Was “very serious”
- “had a terrible impact” on the victim
The original sentencing judge (Judge Emma Nott) “was plainly right in our opinion to take a very serious view of it.”
Pearl was initially given a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which included restrictions on internet-capable devices and contact with children. Parts of this were later deemed “unnecessary and disproportionate” by the Court of Appeal and replaced with a ban on seeking or holding any position of authority or care of children, lasting until January 2035.
Police Statement:
Detective Constable Sarah Tibble, investigating officer, said the victim “had shown such bravery in coming forward to report the offences and put her trust in Thames Valley Police to bring Catherine Pearl to justice.”
Institutional Response:
Following sentencing, Didcot Girls’ School removed social media posts featuring Pearl from a 2019 assembly. Head teacher Georgina Littler confirmed the posts were deleted on 27 January 2025.
Media Coverage:
Local BBC coverage, Oxford Mail, local court podcast. No national headlines.
July 2024: Rebecca Joynes
The Facts:
Rebecca Joynes, aged 30 (date of birth 30/12/1993), from Salford, was a teacher at a Manchester high school.
She was convicted by a jury following a nine-day trial at Manchester Crown Court in May 2024.
The Charges:
- 4 counts: Sexual activity with a child
- 2 counts: Sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust
She was found guilty of all six offences.
Sentencing:
On 4 July 2024, Joynes was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison.
She was also made subject to:
- Notification requirements as a registered sex offender for life
- Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years
- Restraining orders in relation to both boys
[SOURCE: CPS]
What the Court Established:
Boy A:
Joynes gave one of the boys she taught most of the digits of her phone number and he guessed the rest.
When he began contacting her, Joynes reciprocated. On 5 October 2021, she arranged for the 15-year-old boy to stay overnight at her home.
She took him to the Trafford Centre where she bought him a £345 belt. They then returned to her flat and engaged in sexual intercourse.
When she was arrested, she made no comment in her police interview. She was then charged with sexual activity with a child and suspended from her teaching job.
Boy B:
Whilst suspended and on bail in respect of the first offences, a second 15-year-old boy was targeted by Joynes.
The pair engaged in a sexual relationship, which only ended when Joynes was arrested.
Her Defence:
Joynes claimed there was no sexual contact between her and the first schoolboy and claimed sexual contact did not take place with the second boy until he was 16 and after she had been dismissed from her job.
The jury rejected this defence and found her guilty on all counts.
CPS Statement:
Jane Wilson, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, said:
“Rebecca Joynes was in a position of trust as a high school teacher. She abused her position to groom and exploit two schoolboys in the worst way, with no thought for the lasting impact it would have on them. Every parent sends their children to school expecting them to be safeguarded and taken care of; Joynes’s actions have eroded that trust. I would like to thank the victims for supporting the prosecution. I hope they can start to move forward knowing Joynes has been held accountable for her actions.”
Media Coverage:
National headlines across BBC, ITV, multiple news outlets. Extensive coverage. Public awareness high.
THE PATTERN IN THE BLIND SPOT
What Both Cases Involved:
Both women:
- Held positions of trust in schools [VERIFIED: CPS, BBC]
- Had explicit safeguarding responsibilities [VERIFIED: CPS statement re: “position of trust”]
- Groomed vulnerable teenagers in their care [VERIFIED: Court convictions]
- Were convicted in UK courts of sexual offences against children [VERIFIED: Court records]
- Received custodial sentences [VERIFIED: Court records]
The Sentencing:
- Catherine Pearl (deputy head, years of abuse): 2 years 4 months
- Rebecca Joynes (teacher, two victims): 6.5 years
The Media Response:
- Catherine Pearl: Local coverage only
- Rebecca Joynes: National headlines
One became a household name. The other is virtually unknown.
THE STATISTICAL REALITY
Research consistently shows a gap between offending rates and conviction rates for female sex offenders.
What Research Shows:
- 1 in 6 boys experience sexual abuse before age 18
- Studies estimate 20 to 40% of child sexual abuse involves female perpetrators
- UK conviction data shows female offenders represent approximately 5% of sex offence convictions
That gap–between 20 to 40% involvement and 5% convictions–requires explanation.
Either:
- Research is systematically overestimating female offending, or
- We are systematically under-recognising, under-reporting, and under-prosecuting female sex offenders
Available evidence points to option 2.
WHY INVISIBILITY MATTERS
For Victims:
When your abuser doesn’t fit the cultural script of what a predator looks like, you face unique barriers:
- You may not recognise what’s happening as abuse
- You have limited language to describe your experience
- You may not be believed when you report
- The harm may be minimised
- Sentencing may not reflect the damage caused
For Prevention:
We teach children to watch for male predators:
- “Don’t talk to strange men”
- “Be careful of male teachers who get too friendly”
- “Watch out for coaches who are too hands-on”
We rarely say:
- “Female teachers can abuse their position too”
- “A woman buying you expensive gifts might be grooming you”
- “Your female youth worker developing inappropriate closeness is dangerous”
For Institutions:
When female predators are invisible, institutions lack frameworks to:
- Recognise warning signs
- Respond appropriately to concerns
- Prevent offending before it occurs
THE CULTURAL SCRIPT PROBLEM
Society positions women as inherently protective. Mothers. Nurturers. Caregivers. Teachers as second mothers.
This isn’t just a stereotype. It creates operational cover.
Consider:
A male teacher arranging for a 15-year-old student to stay overnight at his home would immediately trigger safeguarding alarms.
Rebecca Joynes did exactly that on 5 October 2021.
A male teacher buying a teenage student a £345 designer belt would raise immediate red flags.
Rebecca Joynes did exactly that before engaging in sexual intercourse with the boy.
The protective framing creates a safeguarding blind spot.
And predators operate in blind spots.
TWO TEACHERS. TWO CONVICTIONS. ONE INVISIBLE PATTERN.
Catherine Pearl:
- Age 50
- Deputy head teacher
- Abused pupil over years
- Sentenced: 2 years 4 months
- Media coverage: Local only
Rebecca Joynes:
- Age 30
- Teacher
- Two victims, both 15
- Whilst on bail for first offence, targeted second boy
- Sentenced: 6.5 years
- Media coverage: National headlines
Both are predators.
Both caused serious harm.
Both were convicted in UK courts.
One is famous. One is forgotten.
That’s the invisibility problem.
WHAT COMES NEXT
In Part 2 of this series, we’ll examine the protective framing problem in depth–how cultural assumptions about women as nurturers create operational advantages for female predators.
In Part 3, we’ll analyse the different tactics female predators use with male versus female victims, and why understanding these distinctions matters for prevention.
In Part 4, we’ll investigate the sentencing gap–why female sex offenders consistently receive lighter sentences than male offenders for comparable crimes.
In Part 5, we’ll examine what Catherine Pearl and Rebecca Joynes teach us about prevention, recognition, and breaking the cycle of invisibility.
The question isn’t whether female predators exist.
The question is: how many are we missing because we refuse to see them?
SOURCES & VERIFICATION
All facts in this article are drawn from:
Catherine Pearl case:
- BBC News, 27 January 2025: “Didcot: Former assistant head jailed for sexually assaulting pupil”
- BBC News, July 30, 2025: “Jailed Didcot teacher who groomed girl wins partial appeal”
- Court of Appeal judgement, July 2025 (referenced in BBC reporting)
- Thames Valley Police statements (as quoted in BBC News)
Rebecca Joynes case:
- Crown Prosecution Service press release, 4 July 2024: “Former high school teacher jailed for child sexual offences against pupils”
- Manchester Crown Court proceedings, May 2024
- CPS statements (Senior Crown Prosecutor Jane Wilson)
Statistical data:
- CDC data on childhood sexual abuse prevalence
- Academic research on female perpetrator prevalence
- Ministry of Justice conviction data
RESOURCES & SUPPORT
If you’ve been affected by the issues in this article:
Stop It Now UK – Confidential helpline for preventing child sexual abuse
https://www.stopitnow.org.uk
NAPAC – Support for adult survivors of childhood abuse
https://napac.org.uk
Survivors UK – Support for male survivors
https://www.survivorsuk.org
The Survivors Trust – Specialist support services
https://www.thesurvivorstrust.org
If a child is at immediate risk:
UK: Call 999 (emergency) or 101 (non-emergency)
ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
This article is based exclusively on publicly available court documents, official statements from the Crown Prosecution Service and police forces, verified media reporting from established news outlets (BBC, official court reporters), and Court of Appeal judgements. All case details are matters of public record.
Sophie Lewis is a final-year BA (Hons) Social Sciences student specialising in criminology and forensic psychology at the Open University, and an NUJ-accredited investigative journalist. She operates The Grooming Files, an independent research platform documenting predator behaviour patterns and institutional safeguarding failures.
Contact: sophie.editorial@outlook.com
Read the full Female Predators series:
- Part 1: The Invisible Predator (you are here)
- Part 2: The Protective Framing Problem (coming next)
- Part 3: Different Victims, Different Tactics
- Part 4: The Sentencing Gap
- Part 5: Breaking the Pattern
This is survivor-led, evidence-based journalism. If this work matters to you, share it.
– Sophie
The Grooming Files 
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