Man sentenced for sexual offences

A man has been jailed after admitting possession of child abuse images that he created in the 1970s.

Alexander Johnston, aged 78, of Longmeadow Road in Cornwall, was due to stand trial at Cambridge Crown Court but changed his plea on the first day.

Following an investigation led by the constabulary’s Non-Recent Child Abuse Investigation Team, he was sentenced to 51 weeks in prison.

During the sentencing hearing, which took place on Friday 9 January, Johnston was also placed on the Sexual Offenders’ Register for 10 years.

The incidents occurred between 1976 and 1979 at Bishop’s Stortford College, which at the time had boarding facilities and Johnston was employed as a teacher.

It was heard in court that Johnston often plied his victim with alcohol and had created the indecent images that he was found in possession of. Due to the legislation at the time of the offences, Johnston could not be convicted of creating the images.

He kept the images for more than 50 years and officers were able to recover and use these as evidence to bring him to justice.

Detective Constable Jess Berg, from the Non-Recent Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: “Firstly, I want to commend the victim for their incredible bravery in coming forward to speak of their experiences of Johnston’s offending, without them he would never have answered for his crimes.

“He is a dangerous sexual predator, someone who took advantage of a position of power for his own sexual gratification.

“This sentence hopefully paves the way for some closure for our victim, knowing that Johnston has been sentenced to time in prison.

“I also want to thank Bishop’s Stortford College for their cooperation and their help with this investigation.

“We know it can be incredibly challenging to come forward to report incidents of sexual offences. We take these reports very seriously and we will do everything we can to ensure that victims are heard and that offenders are brought to justice.

“It does not matter how much time has passed; we were able to get this dangerous predator sent to prison for crimes he committed fifty years ago. You will be heard and we will do all we can to ensure justice is served.

“Anyone wishing to report a sexual offence will always be treated sensitively and with respect by us. We recognise how difficult it must be but please be assured we have specially trained officers who can help you every step of the way.”

Being a victim of a sexual offence is never your fault. If you’ve been a victim, no matter how long ago the offence occurred, please report it. We have specialist officers on hand to provide advice and support throughout an investigation. The constabulary also has LGBTQ+ liaison officers who are specially trained to provide support to members of the LGBTQ+ community.

You can report information online, speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat or call the non-emergency number 101.

Anyone in Hertfordshire who has experienced sexual abuse or sexual violence can contact the Herts Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) for practical and emotional support.

The centre can arrange face-to-face support, sexual health referrals, and provide forensic medical examinations for those who want them.

To contact Herts SARC, call 0330 223 0099 or visit Herts SARC.