A church going former grammar school teacher who was the pillar of his community was jailed on Monday, November 28, for 16 years for sexual abuse.

David Williams, now 83, formerly of Upton, Bude, abused two boys during a ten year period when he taught English, geography and RE at Bude Grammar School in North Cornwall.

Truro Crown Court heard he turned his home into a fun place playing games, the piano, going to the beach and having sleepovers where the abuse took place.

He even went to church to sing in the choir on Sunday mornings, leaving his victims - the youngest was just six when it started - in a bed at his home just yards from the school and church.

One of his victims, who the judge described as survivors, said there was ‘nothing historic about historic sexual abuse’ which had left him vulnerable, isolated and suicidal and two failed marriages behind him.

“What he did will never leave me,” he said.

The second survivor said Williams was ‘a happy, smiling, friendly, kind, well respected teacher’ who led a double life behind closed doors.

He said Williams was in fact a ‘predatory paedophile’ who hid his abuse for years because he fooled teachers, parents and everyone.

He praised the courage of the first person to come forward to break his silence because of the fear of not being believed against such a pillar of the local community who had friends and travelled the world.

Williams admitted nine charges of indecent assault.

Judge Simon Carr jailed him for a total of 16 years and said he carried out a ‘long term and systemic abuse of two children’ from 1977 to 1991.

He said Williams’ life as a pillar of society was a ‘lie from beginning to end’.

The judge said Williams was a predatory paedophile who groomed and abused the children for his own sexual gratification and the impact on those victims had been devastating.