Former Sussex school teacher sentenced over paedophile charges

03/08/2012

A former school teacher from Bognor Regis has been sentenced to six years after pleading guilty to a series of charges of sexual assault and making and distributing indecent photographs.

Martin Cleverly had previously pleaded guilty to a total of 27 charges against him. Three counts were sexual activity with a child between March 2009 and November 2010, which took place in the Bognor area, while eight of the charges were indecent assault on a male between September 1993 and July 1995, all of which happened in the Crowborough area. The remaining charges all related to distributing and making indecent photographs.

Prosecutor Ken Goss, from the CPS South East Complex Casework Unit said: "Cleverly, in respect of the 1990 offences was in a position of trust as a school teacher, a position he abused with some of those children he taught over nearly two decades. There was clear evidence that Cleverly had an obvious sexual interest in children over many years and was a danger to young boys. Consequently, he continued to befriend and groom children when he moved to Bognor, committing yet further offences. His actions have had a dramatic effect on the lives of his young victims, some of whom are now in their mid twenties, and I hope they feel that, with today's sentence, they can now start to move on with their lives."