A SHAMED teacher branded “highly manipulative” has been convicted of sexually abusing two pupils.

Ronald Burton got to know the boys while teaching maths at two secondary school in South Lanarkshire.

The 60 year-old groomed the pair by lavishing gifts on them – including underwear and gym memberships.

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Burton – a now retired ex-assistant principal teacher – was finally snared in 2014 after being confronted by his first victim.

Burton told a jury he had shown “nothing but kindness and affection” to the boys.

But he was found guilty following a week-long trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

He was convicted of lewd and libidinous behaviour towards the first victim and a charge of sexual assault against the second boy.

Burton had his bail continued pending sentencing in September. He was ordered to surrender his passport in the meantime.

The jury heard how the offences occurred 20 years apart.

Burton got to know the first victim in about 1994, when he was in first year.

He later went on to tutor the boy with his maths studies.

Burton told the trial: “I made the judgement that I would try and help him improve.”

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But, he instead took the opportunity to prey on the youngster.

The victim recalled feeling “very uncomfortable” when Burton used “crude terminology”.

During the abuse, Burton drove to a quiet lane before apparently becoming upset.

The witness told the court: “At this point he put his head in his hands. He said I thought just like his mother ... she always told him he was a pervert and I must think he is a pervert as well.”

The abuse ended when the boy was about 15.

He told the court: “I ended up thinking I was the one in the wrong.”

Burton later moved schools and eventually turned his attentions to a second boy – aged about 12 – in 2013.

This youngster was similarly preyed upon, which included inappropriate touching.

Quizzed about these incidents, the boy said: “He asked and I said I was not comfortable with it.

“He would say ‘you are just like everyone else ... you think I’m a weirdo.”

Burton was finally reported to police after the first victim told he felt “worthless” and wanted to kill himself.

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But, the jury heard the victim felt like “a weight had been lifted” after confronting Burton.

Burton, of East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, denied the allegations.

In his closing speech, Mr Kearney described Burton as “highly manipulative” in carrying out “systematic sexual abuse”.

Burton had faced other charges including claims he raped the second victim and also tried to hypnotise him, but these were dropped by prosecutors.