A teaching assistant convicted of sexual activity with a child has had her complaint about two sister dailies dismissed by the press regulator.

Catherine Robson, acting on behalf of her daughter Helen Turnbull, complained to the Independent Press Standards Organisation that the Sunderland Echo and Hartlepool Mail had breached Clause 1 (Accuracy), Clause 4 (Harassment), Clause 6 (Children), Clause 9 (Reporting of crime) and Clause 10 (Clandestine devices and subterfuge) of the Editors’ Code of Practice.

The article concerned, published by both papers, reported the claim of her ex-husband, Ben Turnbull, that she had shown a “longstanding interest in teenage boys.”

It was printed after Ms Turnbull, pictured above left, had pleaded guilty to one count of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust. She had kissed and sent an explicit text message to a child.

Ms Robson said the article contained a number of inaccuracies.

She said her daughter had not shown a “longstanding interest in teenage boys”, she had not spent all her spare money on clothes, she had not taken two hours to get ready for work and she had not bragged about the effect her appearance had on male pupils.

The complainant said reporters had persistently questioned Ms Turnbull outside court, and photographers had taken her photograph without permission.

She expressed particular concern that one photographer had attempted an “up-skirt” shot and had been warned by a police officer that his behaviour constituted harassment, although she did not know if the photographer had represented the newspapers under complaint.

Ms Robson further added a reference to her daughter losing custody of her children was a breach of Clauses 6 and 9, and that a video of her walking to court had been filmed by a camera hidden in a bus stop, in breach of Clause 10.

The Johnston Press titles said they had published photographs and a video of Ms Turnbull outside court where she had no reasonable expectation of privacy, and had investigated claims she had been harassed.

Staff had confirmed that they had not harassed her or any other party and her children had not been identified.

The agency that had supplied the published photographs provided a selection of images taken by its photographer on the three days they had attended court, none of which were taken on the day the “up skirt” picture attempt was made.

IPSO noted Mr Turnbull’s claims had been made in court before, and that they were clearly represented as his views in the piece.

It added there were no grounds to suggest that individuals representing the newspapers had behaved in a manner that constituted harassment.

The complaint was not upheld, and the full adjudication can be read here.