Retired teacher jailed over historic sexual abuse of young pupil

A disgraced former teacher who groomed and sexually abused a schoolboy in the 1980s has been jailed.

Alan Webster committed the offences at Glaisdale Comprehensive School, in Bilborough, with the abuse starting when his victim was just 12 years old.

The now 82-year-old has finally been brought to justice after his victim, Richard Crown, found the courage in 2021 to report what had happened.

Richard tragically died a year later before getting the justice he deserved - but  his family were at Nottingham Crown Court today (25 February) to see his abuser receive a lengthy custodial sentence.

Webster, of Longfield Lane, Ilkeston, denied the allegations but was convicted by a jury earlier this month.

A trial heard Webster abused the young pupil in a storeroom at Glaisdale Comprehensive School, which closed in 2001.

He also molested him in his car after grooming the schoolboy and persuading him to deliver Christian Aid leaflets.

The teacher also found him part-time jobs and took him to watch football matches as part of a twisted plot to carry on the abuse.

He was found guilty of three counts of indecent assault and one count of gross indecency with a child.

Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court today (Tuesday) he was sentenced to eight years in jail. He will serve half the sentence in prison before being released on licence for the remainder of the sentence.

In a statement, Richard’s family said they hoped the outcome would encourage other victims of abuse to come forward. They said:

“We hope that by speaking out, we can offer a voice to other victims who may still be suffering in silence from abuse. Richard is gone, but the legacy of what he endured and the life he lived after that abuse is a testament to his strength.

“While this conviction is one step in the journey toward justice, the grief, the scars, the years of pain cannot be undone. We promised him we would never ever give up on the fight for justice, he so bravely started.

“Richard, the person he could have been, was stolen from us long before he died. We mourn not only the child who was robbed of his innocence but the adult who struggled with scars that were never visible to most.

“For nearly 40 years, he lived with a pain that was both unimaginable and indescribable. While he may have been a child when the abuse began, the trauma he endured affected him for the rest of his life. We tragically lost Richard in the December of 2022 from ways that can never be fully understood by those who have not experienced such a deep, painful wound.

“While he may have been a child when the abuse began, the trauma he endured affected him for the rest of his life.

“There is a sense of relief that justice, though delayed, has finally been served. But there is also a profound sadness, a loss that cannot be undone. Richard, the person he could have been, was stolen from us long before he died.

“We mourn not only the child who was robbed of his innocence but the adult who struggled with scars that were never visible to most.”

Detective Constable Steve Dunn, of Nottinghamshire Police’s Public Protection unit, welcomed today’s sentence and paid tribute to Richard and his family. He said:

“Webster is a predatory sex offender who used his privileged position as a school teacher to abuse a schoolboy.

“His actions represented an appalling abuse of trust and had a significant impact on Richard for nearly 40 years.

“It is thanks to his courage that Webster has finally been brought to justice today and I would like to pay tribute to him and his family, who have conducted themselves with profound dignity in very difficult and painful circumstances.

“As this case demonstrates it really doesn’t matter how long ago sexual abuse happened. What matters is that it happened at all.

“So if people come forward to us with historical allegations of this nature we will listen to them, we will investigate their complaints and we will do our utmost to get justice for them.

“Webster may now be behind bars but if there are others who have been affected by him, we urge them to come forward.”