Hammersmith music teacher Ben Breakwell convicted of sexual abuse
On Monday 2nd August, at Isleworth Crown Court, Breakwell was convicted of 32 offences of sexual abuse of pupils.
Breakwell was a music teacher at a West London secondary school.
His offending lasted between 2014 and 2017. His offences included sexual activity with three children, and taking indecent images of a fourth.
The court heard how he abused his position as a music teacher to engage his young pupils in sexual activity.
The jury found him guilty of 22 charges of sexual activity with a child, three counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, four charges of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust, a count of sexual assault and two allegations of taking indecent photographs of a child.
The abuse took place in the basement of the music department at the school and at his home in West London.
Catherine Farrelly, who prosecuted Breakwell, said that he groomed his victims by “mak[ing] his first move and then follow it up with a message to say that it was completely unexpected, but he’d liked it”.
Specialist police officer Detective Constable Ben Lawrence-Smith said: “Breakwell deceived and abused these girls and then sought to evade any responsibility for his actions.
“They were manipulated to the point where some felt it was they who were doing wrong. The fact Breakwell was a teacher only compounds this gross betrayal of trust.
“It is clear that Breakwell was a sexual predator who carefully manipulated these young girls in order to exploit them.”
Breakwell will remain in custody until he is sentenced.
