JOHN DAVIS CHILD SEX ABUSE SCANDAL IN HUTTON AND PRESTON REVEALED

In a disturbing case that has shocked the communities of Hutton and Preston, a retired schoolteacher named John Davis has been exposed for his long history of child sexual abuse. The revelations came to light after Davis, then aged 75 and residing on Fensway in Hutton, made a series of confessions to priests, claiming he had committed heinous acts against young girls years before his eventual arrest and prosecution.

According to reports, Davis believed he was nearing the end of his life when he chose to confess his sins. Several years prior to his arrest, while hospitalized and seriously ill, Davis confided in a priest at the hospital, admitting to having sexually abused children. This confession was made under the impression that he was on his deathbed, and he hoped to find spiritual forgiveness. Later, after recovering from his illness and being discharged from the hospital, Davis sought out a priest at his local church in Hutton to confess again, further revealing details of his past crimes.

The case came to court after police investigations uncovered the extent of Davis’s misconduct. He pleaded guilty to nine counts of indecent assault involving multiple young girls. It was established that these victims were not pupils at the school where Davis had taught, St John Southworth’s RC High School in Grimsargh, but nonetheless suffered severe emotional and psychological trauma due to his actions.

Preston Crown Court heard a harrowing account of the abuse, which spanned several years. Judge Heather Lloyd sentenced Davis to six years in prison, emphasizing the gravity of his crimes and the betrayal of trust involved. Davis, who uses a wheelchair and suffers from health issues including heart disease and diabetes, was described as a man who had maintained a facade of respectability while secretly engaging in criminal behavior.

One of Davis’s victims, speaking after the sentencing, expressed her outrage and disappointment. She stated, “I think it is absolutely disgusting that somehow he feels he can speak to a priest and that makes it all right. I think he thought if he was going to die he would make his peace with God. I think maybe he should have tried to make his peace with his victims.” She further explained the lasting impact of the abuse, saying, “I have lived with this for 30 years and the impact on my life is always there. I feel like he has given me a life sentence. I will have to live with this till the day I die. To me it is typical of the Catholic church and I feel utterly let down.”

She added, “It is a comfort to me that the police and the court system have taken this extremely seriously. It will always be there but now he has been given a custodial sentence maybe I can start to leave it behind me.”

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Davis, who was in poor health, made his initial confession when he was gravely ill and feared he might not survive. However, when arrested, he dismissed the allegations as “something and nothing,” claiming the girls had misunderstood or exaggerated the frequency of the abuse. Judge Lloyd addressed Davis’s facade of respectability, stating, “To anybody looking from the outside you must have seemed to have been a normal, respectable man, but from the moment you began this abuse this semblance of normality and respectability was effectively a sham.”

She further emphasized the breach of trust, noting, “At the time you were a churchgoing man and at some time before your victims called the police you confessed to a priest. At the time all this occurred you had a responsible job, teaching children and holding a position of authority. Yet, from 1979 until your retirement, you engaged in criminal and abusive behavior. Your outward appearance of respectability only served to conceal your true nature, making it even more damaging when the truth was revealed.”