Former East Sussex teacher convicted of raping and sexually assaulting pupil

A former East Sussex high school teacher has been convicted of raping and sexually assaulting a pupil he taught at Bexhill High School.

Steven Hardie, 65, was a science teacher at the school, now called Mulberry Academy Bexhill, between 1991 and 2007.

In 2021, Sussex Police received intelligence that Hardie had groomed and sexually abused pupils while working at the school. Police subsequently seized his electronic devices and found sexual messages between Hardie and a pupil during his time as a teacher.

The woman, now in her thirties, was contacted by police and disclosed that Hardie had sexually abused her from the age of 15. She also reported that he had raped her on two occasions after she had left the school.

Hardie was charged with two counts of rape, four counts of indecent assault and three counts of indecency with a child. Following a trial at Lewes Crown Court, he was found guilty of all but one count of indecency with a child. He has been remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced on 26 October.

Hardie had previously been dismissed from Bexhill High School in 2007 after receiving a police caution for grooming a female pupil. The conviction in this case relates to a different victim.

Detective Constable Rebecca Wilde said Hardie had “used his position of trust to manipulate and prey on a teenage girl for his own sexual gratification”.

This case is another deeply troubling example of the abuse of a position of trust. Teachers are entrusted with the education and wellbeing of children and young people. Hardie exploited that position to groom and sexually abuse a pupil in his care.

It also demonstrates that the passage of time does not necessarily prevent survivors from coming forward or allegations of historic abuse from being investigated. In this case, the abuse disclosed by the survivor began when she was 15, but the police investigation started many years later, after officers received intelligence in 2021.

If you are reading this as someone who has experienced sexual abuse, whether recently or many years ago, support is available. Speaking to someone does not mean you have to make a report. If you would like to talk through what happened or explore the support available to you, our Abuse team is here to listen in complete confidence.