EGGBUCKLAND TEACHER JONATHAN ROWE SENTENCED FOR CHILD ABUSE IN BUCKFASTLEIGH AND EGBUCKLAND

In August 2018, a deeply disturbing case emerged involving Jonathan Rowe, a man from Higher Dean, who was convicted of heinous crimes against children. Rowe, who held the position of assistant principal at Eggbuckland Community College in Eggbuckland, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for a series of sexual offenses involving a young girl and other minors.

Rowe's criminal activities came to light after a young girl, who was blindfolded during some of the abuse, noticed something unusual through her blindfold and confided in her mother. The girl, aged between eight and ten at the time, was subjected to abuse during visits to Rowe’s home and on camping trips to Dartmoor. The abuse included oral rape while she was asleep and blindfolded, with Rowe instructing her to pose for photographs. These acts were carried out in secret, with Rowe attempting to conceal his actions by blindfolding the girl and pretending it was some form of private activity.

Authorities uncovered the extent of Rowe’s misconduct after the girl’s mother discovered disturbing images on his devices. Rowe had taken photographs using a Nikon camera and a Motorola phone, which he later transferred onto his school laptop. Police seized the laptop from his office at Eggbuckland Community College and found numerous images, including some depicting him with his member in the girl’s mouth. The investigation revealed that Rowe had also taken photographs during camping trips on Dartmoor, where the girl was asleep at the time.

Further evidence uncovered that Rowe had developed a disturbing interest in young girls over the three years prior to his arrest. He had been downloading child abuse images from the internet and had begun to act on these illicit fantasies. Police found a video of a 13-year-old girl on a trampoline, with Rowe focusing on her breasts, and a pair of her pyjama bottoms in his bedroom. It was confirmed that neither of the girls involved was a pupil at Eggbuckland Community College nor related to Rowe.

Rowe admitted to multiple charges, including three counts of rape, two counts of sexual activity with a child, five counts of taking indecent images of minors, and three counts of downloading images from the internet. His actions demonstrated a clear pattern of predatory behavior and a gross violation of trust and safety.

Judge David Evans presided over the case at Exeter Crown Court, where he sentenced Rowe to 11 years in prison, with an additional one-year extended license period. The court also ordered Rowe to be placed on the sex offenders’ register for life and prohibited him from approaching within 50 meters of any school or engaging in activities involving photographing or filming children.

The judge expressed his disappointment in Rowe’s betrayal of his professional responsibilities and community trust. He highlighted that Rowe, a married man with a son and daughter, was well aware of safeguarding principles and the devastating impact of child abuse. The judge remarked that Rowe had led a double life, secretly indulging in his sexual interests in children while maintaining a respectable public persona. The court acknowledged the profound psychological harm inflicted on the victims and the ripple effect on their families.

Prosecutor Piers Norsworthy detailed that Rowe was arrested in April after a ten-year-old girl, who had visited his home, confided in her mother about two incidents where he blindfolded her, instructed her to pose with her mouth open, and took photographs. The girl was unaware of the full extent of what was happening but saw something fleshy through the blindfold and felt something touch her lips. Police investigations revealed that Rowe had taken explicit photographs, including images of himself with the girl’s mouth, and had engaged in similar activities during camping trips on Dartmoor while the girl was asleep.

The police also uncovered a disturbing collection of 327 images of young girls, including 12 depicting serious abuse. Rowe expressed a desire to die before the truth was uncovered. Further investigations revealed an earlier incident from 2013, when the mother of a six-year-old girl found Rowe playing with her daughter in a rock pool on a beach. Concerned about his behavior, the mother and her husband later visited Rowe’s home after noticing him taking photographs of their daughter at a gymnastics event. These incidents underscore the extent of Rowe’s predatory behavior and the serious threat he posed to children in the Eggbuckland and Buckfastleigh areas.