A TEACHING assistant sent a sexual picture of himself to a teenage girl on Snapchat, a misconduct hearing in Cardiff was told.

Kaine Lewis, 21, of Abertillery, Blaenau Gwent, is accused of inviting the girl to meet up in his car "to do things" - as well as sending sexually explicit images of himself.

A fitness to practice hearing was told the agency teacher tried to "obtain sexual gratification" by contacting female pupils from two separate schools over social media.

Lewis - who worked for the Capita Education Recruitment agency - was 19 when he was sent to work as a temporary learning assistant at the Dean Academy high school in Lydney, Gloucestershire.

The head teacher raised concerns after "several" pupils in years 10 and 11 complained about him contacting them over Instagram and Facebook and "liking" their photos.

Lewis was spoken to and offered training by his agency bosses, but later that same year he allegedly began messaging and sending explicit images to another girl.

A male student at Canolfan yr Afon - a school for children who have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties based in Ebbw Vale, South Wales - told his social worker he believed Lewis was contacting his ex-girlfriend and inviting her for rides in his car.

Case presenter Cadi Dewi told the Education Workforce Council hearing: "Lewis invited the girl to his car to 'do things'.

"She denies ever meeting him in person.

"We say his conduct was sexually motivated and or inapropriate.

"His conduct was to in some way obtain some sort of sexual gratification."

Kimberly Mason, a social worker with Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, said the male pupil - referred to as Pupil D - had complained that Lewis was sending inappropriate messages to his ex-girlfriend.

Ms Mason said: "Pupil D said Lewis had sent his ex girlfriend a picture of his genitals."

Emma Rudolph, a manager at Lewis' recruitment agency, said he claimed to have accepted friend requests from young girls not realising they were pupils.

She said: "Lewis said a few girls had tried to follow him on Instagram but he hadn't realised they were pupils or their ages, and he accepted their requests."

Lewis denies three allegations of misconduct, but admits contacting the girl over Snapchat.

The hearing in Cardiff continues.