A GWENT music teacher wept yesterday as he was convicted of indecently assaulting a boy by putting his hand down the child's trousers.

Monmouth School for Boys teacher Christian Nicholas Dominic Morris told the eight-year-old jokes and gave him sweets before indecently assaulting him, jurors at Swansea crown court heard during his three-day trial.

Morris, aged 29, of The Parade, Monmouth, will be sentenced on December 22. School governors were meeting today to consider his future employment. He is already suspended from the independent school.

The assault happened on the night of August 7, in a secluded grassy area at St David's, Pembroke-shire, where Morris' parents have a holiday home.

Judge John Diehl, QC, the Recorder of Swansea, yesterday granted Morris bail with conditions that he lived at his parents' home at Narberth, Pembrokeshire, and did not enter St David's.

But Judge Diehl warned Morris: "The fact I am granting you bail is no indication of your sentence in this case."

Morris, wearing a black suit and blue shirt, looked stunned as the jury foreman returned a unanimous guilty verdict.

He slumped down in his chair, and covered his face with a hand as he wept.

Morris, who had no previous convictions, had denied the charge.

For legal reasons, during the trial the jury was not told that Morris took a photograph of another boy's bottom earlier the same day.

Morris told police he was taking an innocent photograph on the beach when the boy came into view and "pulled a moonie" as a joke.

He said to officers that he deleted the photograph when he saw police cars near his parents' holiday home that night.

During the trial Morris admitted talking to a group of four boys, including the eight-year-old, after meeting them while walking to the beach. He gave the boys sweets and chewing-gum, told them jokes and allowed the eight-year-old to take a puff on his cigarette.

Morris admitted taking photographs of the boys but denied any were indecent.

Morris was later left alone with the eight-year-old, the jury heard, pulled the boy to him and put his hand down the back of the boy's trousers.

Judge Diehl revoked a court order banning the reporting of a second charge against Morris, that of assaulting a nine-year-old boy on the same date.

The mother of the boy, from the Bath area, refused to allow her son to attend court and the judge ordered a not guilty verdict be given for the assault charge.

A representative of Monmouth School for Boys, who attended court, declined to comment.