PAUL COLE EXETER CREDITON TEACHER JAILED FOR SEXUAL OFFENSES WITH 15-YEAR-OLDS

In a case that has shocked the local communities of Crediton and Exeter, Paul Cole, a former physical education teacher, has been sentenced to six years in prison for engaging in sexual activities with two 15-year-old girls. The disturbing incidents took place at the school where Cole was employed during the 1990s, and the repercussions of his actions have reverberated through the educational and local communities alike.

According to court proceedings, Cole, who was described as a fit young sportsman at the time, exploited the affections of the two teenage girls, both of whom had developed crushes on him. The abuse occurred in a school store room, located within the sports block, where Cole engaged in sexual acts with the girls while they were in their school uniforms. These encounters happened during breaks or when the girls were skipping other lessons, highlighting a gross breach of trust and professional conduct.

Further allegations revealed that Cole had also engaged in sexual activities outside of school premises with two additional girls, both over the age of 16 and consenting at the time. However, because these encounters were legal under the law then in effect, no charges could be brought against him for those incidents.

At the time of his arrest, Cole was 45 years old and had moved on to teach at schools in Crediton and Exeter. His career came to an abrupt end when the victims, now in their 30s and with children of their own, reported the abuse to the police in 2011. The revelations led to a police investigation, which uncovered a pattern of inappropriate conduct spanning several years.

During the trial at Exeter Crown Court, Cole denied two counts of indecent assault against one girl and five counts against the other. Nevertheless, the jury found him guilty on all charges. Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, sentenced Cole to six years in prison, emphasizing the severity of his breach of trust and exploitation of the girls' infatuation with him.

The judge stated, “You were convicted on what can only be described as overwhelming evidence of serious sexual offences against two girls, one aged 14 and the other 15, both pupils at the school where you taught. You occupied a position of trust, and your actions represented a grave abuse of that trust. The fact that both girls were besotted with you is no excuse; in fact, it aggravates your culpability. You took advantage of their obsession to commit these heinous acts. Your defense, claiming that the girls were lying, was dismissed as unconvincing.”

Testimony from the victims, who are now adults, detailed how their feelings for Cole had developed during their time at school. One victim recounted how she left a lesson under the pretext of working on coursework for her GCSE in Physical Education, which Cole was teaching, and described the interior of the gym store in vivid detail, including the storage of netball and football posts and the shape of the vaulting horse where the abuse took place.

The two girls, aged 16 at the time, also disclosed that Cole engaged in other sexual acts with them during trips away from school. They admitted to feeling embarrassed and ashamed at the time, which prevented them from reporting the abuse immediately. It was only in 2011, prompted by concerns that Cole might still have access to young people, that one of the victims disclosed the incidents to the authorities.

Throughout the trial, Cole maintained that he had no contact with the girls while they were students, asserting that any kissing occurred after they had left school. His defense lawyer, Fiona Elder, highlighted his long career, stating that he should be recognized for the positive contributions he made over two decades of teaching. She also pointed out that no other complaints had been made against him despite police efforts to gather information from students at Queen Elizabeth School in Crediton, where he was employed at the time of his arrest.

Judge Gilbert concluded by condemning Cole’s actions as a serious breach of trust and emphasized the lasting impact on the victims. The case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of safeguarding and the devastating consequences when those entrusted with the education and well-being of young people abuse their positions.