Former Shoreham College teacher from Worthing jailed over child sex offences

A former teacher has been jailed for sexually abusing children over a period of more than 30 years.
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Neil Turner, 67, of Pevensey Garden, Worthing, was sentenced to 28 months in prison at Hove Crown Court yesterday (August 5) after admitting to assaults on six young boys and on an adult with learning disabilities.

His latest victims, who were abused from the mid-1980s, came forward after Turner was jailed in 2017 for similar assaults on three other boys.

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The court heard the latest charges bore many similarities to Turner’s previous offences, which revolved around the music teacher’s self-confessed foot fetish.

Neil Turner. Picture: Sussex Police SUS-170628-121016001Neil Turner. Picture: Sussex Police SUS-170628-121016001
Neil Turner. Picture: Sussex Police SUS-170628-121016001

Judge Jeremy Gold QC said many people had provided positive character references for Turner, but he had abused positions of power.

“You are now 67 years old and in many respects you have led an exemplary life,” he said. “We have had many excellent references speaking to your character.

“However, to a large extent, therein lies the problem. Underneath the veneer of respectability lies a man with sexual urges which sadly you have consistently failed to control throughout your life.

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“You have a foot fetish which has led you to sexually touch a number of youngsters and a vulnerable young adult who no doubt trusted and admired you. Because they trusted you, they found themselves in a situation where you could teach them and you took advantage of that situation for your lustful benefit and to their disadvantage, resulting in their long term psychological damage. This sort of behaviour to young people has life-long effects.”

The court heard that in 1999 Turner was sacked by Shoreham College after receiving a caution for common assault on a minor. He was allowed to continue as choirmaster at his church, but forced to sign a contract forbidding unsupervised contact with children.

Dominic Connolly, prosecuting, said in most of the cases Turner would invite his victims back to his flat on the pretence of playing computer games, having something to eat or sharing a ‘night cap’.

Once inside, the children would often lie down on their fronts on cushions in front of the computer screen.

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Turner would then offer them foot massages and in some cases would remove the victim’s socks, rub their feet into his groin or ‘go to the bathroom’ after the massage, said Mr Connolly.

The court heard that after touching one of his victims for more than 15 minutes, Turner gave the child a lift home and, before he got out the car, said: “Don’t tell the other boys, they will all want to do it. It is our secret.”

Mr Connolly said Turner filled the void in some of his victims’ lives as a ‘father figure’ and that many have had to have counselling as adults.

Turner’s crimes showed ‘grooming behaviour’, Mr Connolly argued, alongside abuses of trust, significant degrees of planning and a targeting of vulnerable individuals.

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Steve Wedd, defending, said there were mitigating circumstances to his client’s actions.

“People are born with their weaknesses,” he said. “Mr Turner’s weakness is being a foot fetishist. He admits himself that events in his childhood have been visited upon other children in their childhoods.”

He defended Turner’s ‘value and worth to the community’, drew attention to the fact he had not committed any offences since 2015 and argued further coverage of his crimes was causing prolonged damage to his reputation.

Judge Gold sentenced Turner to four months in jail for each victim, a total of 28 months. He was placed on the sex offenders register, on which he was already listed, and given a sexual harm prevention order.

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Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cullimore said: “This case is an example of the way in which we will always take such reports seriously, no matter how long ago the events took place, and will seek to investigate and wherever possible to achieve justice and some closure for victims.”

Anyone who wishes to report such offences can contact the police online at any time or by calling 101 and arranging to talk in confidence to experienced investigators.