News and Knowledge

Kirklees man jailed for historic child sex offences

A Kirklees man has been sentenced to six years for sexual offences against a child.   Jonathan Walker was jailed at Leeds Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday) for offences committed against one young girl between 2005 and 2007.     Walker, aged 34, of Liversedge, was found guilty following a trial at Leeds Crown Court in…

Calls for background checks on private tutors as 90 convicted of child abuse

Calls for private tutors to go through more checks to protect children have been heard as more than 90 have been convicted of sexual offences over the past 20 years.   According to research, around 30 percent of children aged between 11 and 16 receive private tutoring at some point during their education. But at…

Teacher struck off after kissing private school student in night club

A trainee teacher has been banned from the profession after he was seen kissing a private school pupil in a nightclub after the annual summer ball.   Jack Valentine had been acting as a chaperone at the annual event at Taunton School in Somerset, on 30 June 2022, when celebrations moved on to a nightclub…

Greenwood School: ‘Father figure’ teacher banned after historic sexual abuse against pupils

A teacher once described as a “father figure” has been permanently banned from teaching after sexually abusing students more than three decades ago.   The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) reviewed evidence from five former students of Greenwood School, a former girls’ boarding school in Halstead, Essex, where Christopher Charlton taught physical education and mathematics from…

Thurrock Yacht Club coach convicted of child sexual abuse

An Essex man in his 60s has been convicted of sexually abusing a child.   John Darby, 66, of Thames Road, Grays, Essex, was found guilty of 14 sexual offences at Basildon Crown Court on Friday. Essex Police revealed that Darby began abusing his victim when she was just eight years old, during his time…

Thurrock Yacht Club coach convicted of child sexual abuse

An Essex man in his 60s has been convicted of sexually abusing a child.   John Darby, 66, of Thames Road, Grays, Essex, was found guilty of 14 sexual offences at Basildon Crown Court on Friday. Essex Police revealed that Darby began abusing his victim when she was just eight years old, during his time…

Church of England Abuse: Blackburn Cathedral priest posed ‘significant risk’ to children

Concerns have been raised after it was found that a Church of England priest was paid off after being assessed as a ‘potential risk to children and young people’.   According to a BBC investigation, Canon Andrew Hindley, who worked in the Blackburn diocese from 1991 to 2021 – was subject to five police investigations,…

Strictly Come Dancing: Investigation into BBC show after abuse allegations

As celebrities head into training for this year’s BBC Strictly Come Dancing series this week, we look at the recent abuse allegations that some former contestants have said about their time on the show.   In recent months, the star-studded BBC programme has been thrown into turmoil after multiple abuse allegations against their professional dance…

Historic Abuse: 28 Sexual Predators Jailed in West Yorkshire

Twenty eight sexual predators who preyed on vulnerable females in Kirklees have been given jail sentences totalling almost 400 years.   A further two men were sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on July 31 as part of Kirklees Police’s long running Operation Tourway investigation into non recent sexual abuse.     Ebrahim Pandor and Amjad…

Wings Cumbria – Boarding school shut down after abuse allegations against vulnerable pupils

A boarding school in Cumbria has been closed down after claims that staff physically abused vulnerable children in their care.   Wings School, in Milnthorpe was a specialist education facility, aimed at providing a ‘nurturing environment’ for up to 50 children and young people living with social, emotional and mental health problems, autism and specific…