JAMES HUITSON, WARWICK SCHOOL TEACHER FROM KENILWORTH, JAILED FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF GIRLS

In September 2002, Warwick Crown Court delivered a stern verdict against James Huitson, a former teacher at Warwick School, who was found guilty of sexually abusing three young girls during private maths tutoring sessions at his residence in Kenilworth. The court proceedings revealed a disturbing pattern of misconduct that betrayed the trust placed in him by the children and their families.

Huitson, aged 57 and residing on Saville Grove in Kenilworth, had previously been investigated for similar allegations four years prior but managed to avoid prosecution at that time. Despite this, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for a decade, reflecting the seriousness of his offenses. As he was escorted down to the cells following his conviction, one of his victims shouted out, “There are more, and they’ll come forward. He is an evil man,” highlighting the potential for further victims to come forward and the profound impact of his actions.

Throughout the trial, Huitson maintained his innocence, denying the charges of indecent assault on the three girls during the 1990s. The jury deliberated for over two hours before reaching a verdict, ultimately convicting him on three counts of indecent assault. However, they acquitted him of a charge alleging he incited one of the girls to commit an act of gross indecency with him.

Huitson’s professional background was as a craft and technology teacher, and he also provided additional maths tuition to children at his home. The tutoring sessions took place in a bedroom that was equipped with a desk and two chairs, where the abuse reportedly occurred. The youngest of the victims provided her testimony via a video link, describing how Huitson repeatedly touched her on her shoulders, thighs, or waist before the contact escalated to more intimate areas.

The defendant claimed that his actions were simply a reflection of his nature, dismissing the allegations as harmless or incidental. Prosecutor Adrian Keeling, however, argued that Huitson’s conduct was deliberate and motivated by a desire to enjoy the inappropriate contact, possibly as part of a grooming process to test how far he could go with the girls.

One of the victims, who is now a teacher herself, explained that her decision to come forward was influenced by her own experiences. She recounted how, in October of the previous year, she was prompted to report her abuse after memories resurfaced during her own tutoring sessions. She had initially contacted Childline in 1999 and later reported the matter to the police. In a disturbing development, Huitson later wrote to her in March, urging her to “search your heart” and end the case, claiming that he had since become a Salvation Army soldier.

Huitson defended his actions, asserting that any physical contact was solely to encourage or reposition the girls to better see their work, denying any sexual intent or deliberate touching of sensitive areas such as the girls’ breasts. Despite his claims, Judge Marten Coates made it clear that Huitson’s position as a trusted educator was gravely abused, stating, “If ever anyone was in a position of trust and abused it, it was you.” The court’s verdict underscores the betrayal of trust and the severity of the crimes committed by Huitson in the quiet town of Kenilworth.