Former Peterborough Priest and Teacher Guilty of Historic Sexual Abuse of Girls

By Stephen Briggs
Peterborough Today
March 21, 2014

http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/local/former-peterborough-priest-and-teacher-guilty-of-historic-sexual-abuse-of-girls-1-5949376

David Goodstadt. Photo: David Lowndes

A former Peterborough priest and teacher is facing a lengthy prison sentence after being convicted of historical sexual abuse against young girls.

David Goodstadt was found guilty of rape and a number of other offences by a jury at Peterborough Crown Court on Friday (14 March).

Goodstadt, who had been on bail during a week-long trial, was remanded into custody by Judge Sean Enright.

He will be sentenced at the same court in April after reports have been written about Goodstadt’s offending.

The court was told the offences date back a number of years, when the victims were aged from under 10 to 16.

The former religious education teacher at John Mansfield School and Thomas Deacon Academy in Peterborough, was found guilty of two counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape on one victim.

He was also convicted of two counts of indecent assault, one count of indecency with a child and one count of rape, and one count of indecent assault.

He was found not guilty of one count of attempted rape on one girl, and one count of rape and one of indecent assault on another.

The judge ordered one count of rape and one count of indecent assault on one of the victims, and one count of indecent assault on another to lie on the court file, and no formal verdict to be given after the jury, made up of eight women and four men had returned with their other decisions.

Goodstadt (45) of Broad Street, Whittlesey, pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him, and said his victims had made up the allegations.

The court was told he left the priesthood a number of years ago to become a teacher.

But opening the case, Charles Falk, prosecuting said the girls had not come forward because of the ‘power and influence’ Goodstadt had asserted over them.

The prosecutor added that the girls had been afraid to tell police about what had happened.

However, the victims eventually came forward to police last year, and Goodstadt, who was on bail until the verdicts came in, was arrested.

The victims can not be identified for legal reasons.