A former Newent Community School teacher was jailed for ten years at Gloucester Crown Court, on Tuesday, September 1st, after he admitted to conducting a variety of sexual offences, including the sexual assault of a vulnerable man, and several counts of the covert filming of children.

He has also been placed on the sex offenders’ register for life. His offences took place between 1994 and they ended last year, after he was arrested.

Boothe admitted to the 20 charges at a previous trial. Of his charges: two were outraging public decency, seven were taking indecent pictures, three were possessing indecent images, four were indecent assaults on a man who did not have the mental capability to consent to sex, and four were sexual activity with the same person.

Thomas Ceri Boothe, 58, taught art and drama at the Newent school from 1980 until his arrest earlier this year. During an Ofsted inspection of the school in 2014, Boothe was rated as ‘outstanding’, the highest possible rating a teacher can attain.

Steve Young, defending, told the court that there was "not a sniff" that Boothe abused his position as a teacher at Newent school or offending against pupils. “He bitterly, bitterly regrets that the school has been brought into this,” Mr Young stated.

Judge Jamie Tabor told Boothe: “You have been considered by Ofsted as an outstanding teacher and were thought of highly by many pupils and colleagues at the school where you taught for 34 years. The darker side of your life overshadowed your life as a teacher.”

For the full report, see next week’s edition of the Ross Gazette.