A 36-year-old mother has been sentenced to four years in prison after having sex with two 13-year-olds in her son’s bedroom while he was at school.
Natalie Harris began sending sexual messages to one of the schoolboys on Snapchat before inviting them both to her address.
The mother of six developed an ‘obsession with sex with young boys’ and wanted ‘attention’ after a break-up, a court heard, saying she had ‘no regard for any moral sense whatsoever’.
Despite begging the boys to keep it a secret, she was arrested after a video of the trio, filmed by one of the boys, circulated around their school.
Natalie Harris outside Portsmouth Crown Court. The 36-year-old has been sentenced to four years in prison
A mother of one of the 13-year-old boys told Portsmouth Crown Court that Harris ‘took his childhood away’ (Picture: Portsmouth Crown Court)
Harris, from Waterlooville, Hampshire, wept in the dock on Thursday as she was sentenced to four years in prison for four counts of sexual activity with a child.
A mother of one of the 13-year-old boys told the Portsmouth Crown Court that Harris “took his childhood away”.
Prosecutor Matthew Lawson said both boys, whose names cannot be released for legal reasons, were 13 years old at the time of the incident, which took place in Waterlooville, near Portsmouth, in November 2022.
Mr Lawson told Portsmouth Crown Court: ‘The matter came to light in January last year.
‘A video was circulating at the school where the two boys attended.
‘Police received a call from a concerned parent, which showed an adult woman performing sexual acts on a boy.’
The court heard the two boys initially denied any involvement, but one of them eventually told his mother.
According to Mr Lawson, Harris was identified as the woman in the video by her distinctive tattoos on her hand.
Her mobile phone was seized by police and a ‘series of messages’ were found between her and one of the boys – who she had saved in her contacts as Rachel.
She allegedly told him not to “tell anyone” because she could go to jail.
Mr Lawson told the court how the boy had come forward to tell his mother that he was the one who had made the video. He said: ‘He said the defendant started messaging him on Snapchat and text in November 2022, around the time of the World Cup.
He said the messages were sexually suggestive and that he invited both boys to come to her house.
“It was clear to both boys that they were going there for sex.”
The court heard that when they arrived at the address, Harris took them to her son’s bedroom, where they had sex for about 40 minutes and left before her own son was due to return from school.
She was arrested and initially claimed she had “no idea” who the woman in the video was.
In a victim impact statement read out in court, the boy’s mother said she had watched her son “wasting away” as a result of the “horrific nightmare”.
She added that her “poor boy” has lost interest in various hobbies and is now staying indoors.
“My heart breaks. I could not have imagined this happening to my son, he is just a child,” she said.
‘Natalie has completely turned our family upside down.
‘The worst part of all this is that she took away his childhood and I will never forgive her.
“He will never get back the childhood that was taken from him. This will now stay with us for the rest of our lives.”
Harris, who has since been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and multiple personality disorder, was said to be suffering from a “manic episode.”
In mitigation, criminal defense attorney Berenice Mulvanny said Harris was “deeply remorseful” and “devastated” by her behavior.
She said it was ‘triggered’ by a breakup with her partner.
Harris suffered a ‘manic episode’ after a split from her partner, it was heard
Speaking about the rift between Harris and her partner, Judge Sarah Munro KC said: ‘You reacted dramatically to his departure.
“Your behavior was extremely promiscuous.”
She said a “drastic change” had been noticed in Harris’ mood, including “an obsession with sex with young boys”.
“The boy described how you began texting him and inviting him to your home,” she said. “You took them to your son’s bedroom and engaged in sexual acts with both boys.
“They left because it was time for your son to come home from school.”
Of the boy who reported the incident, she said: “The impact on him has been terrible. He feels guilty about what happened. You clearly turned that family upside down and took his childhood away from him.”
She continued her sentence: ‘No punishment I can impose can give him back his youth or undo the damage you have done to him.’
The judge said the trigger for the “manic episode” which resulted in “erratic behaviour” was the split from her partner.
“You felt unloved and you began to behave in a way to get attention,” she added. “In your desire for attention, you did not consider the long-term damaging impact on these young boys.
‘You have been guilty of serious planning and care behaviour, there has been serious abuse of trust and there is a large age difference.’
She added that there was “total disregard for any moral compass” and sentenced her to four years in prison.
Harris was also given a ten-year restraining order and a sexual abuse prevention order of the same duration.