Teacher jailed for indecent assaults on Catholic school pupils

By Graeme Hetherington
Northern Echo
November 5, 2014

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/11581289.Teacher_jailed_for_indecent_assaults_on_Catholic_school_pupils/

A FORMER teacher, who systematically abused children in his classroom at a Catholic primary school, has been jailed for five years for his ‘reprehensible’ crimes.

Ronald Wotton carried out a prolonged series of abuse on a number of pupils at the east Durham school between 1968 and 1980 - his reign of intimidation and sexual abuse coming to an end following a series of complaints.

A court heard how pupils would feign illness and some had resorted to drinking washing up liquid to make themselves sick, rather than attend school and face the possibility of being sexually abused in front of their classmates.

The 73-year-old of Park Lane, Murton, Seaham, County Durham, pleaded guilty to 21 charges, including 17 of indecent assault, three of indecency with a male and one of indecency with a child.

At a hearing on Wednesday (November 5), the pensioner was branded a bully who abused his position of trust to carry out a sustained campaign of abuse.

Wotton's wife left him when he was allowed to retire from work amid mounting allegations about his conduct.

He he has lived in miserable isolation for 30 years, fearful that one day he would be prosecuted, the court heard.

The police began investigating last year when one of his victims was inspired to speak out amid the publicity surrounding the Jimmy Savile scandal.

Judge Howard Crowson, sitting in Teesside Crown Court, told Wotton: “What you did was abhorrent.

“You were sadly operating at a time when, to most of the adult public, it was inconceivable for this type of offending to be committed by a teacher.

"It was either ignored, brushed under the carpet or they were not believed.

“We are now living in a more enlightened time where victims can make themselves heard and believed.”

He added that his reprehensible behaviour continued despite being directly confronted by angry parents.

Joanne Kidd, prosecuting, told the court that more than 20 victims had been prepared to appear in court and give evidence and at least another 20 had spoken to police about the abuse they had suffered at Wotton’s hands.

One victim, now middle-aged, said Wotton was an authoritarian, strict and a bully who set his classroom out so he was behind a "huge desk" in front of the children.

He would catch a child's eye, ask them to come forward and while hidden behind the desk, he would sexually abuse them over their clothes while he asking in a low and sinister voice, sexually provocative questions, the court heard.

Wotton would rub his groin as he did so.

The court heard that since he was forced to quit his teaching job, Wotton had never worked again and there was no evidence that he had committed any further offences.

A victim impact statement read out in court said: “I hate Wotton for what he has done to us and the way he has made us feel.”

Another victim said: “I feel really pleased that he is being brought to justice, he should pay for what he did. I’m relieved that he hasn’t got away with it.”

Wotton was also given an indefinite sexual offences prevention order that would activate if the terminally-ill cancer sufferer was ever released from custody.

Speaking outside the court, Detective Constable Heather Bilton, of Durham Police, said: “I hope this five year sentence gives the message to anybody who has been abused that no matter how old it is they can come forward and hopefully justice can be done for victims of historic sexual abuse.

“Some [victims] have been very brave to speak about it. It has been very difficult for them and they have been very brave and really I would like to thank them for the courage to come forward and speak out.”