PETER WARD FROM SITTINGBOURNE AND WATFORD JAILED FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF YOUNG BOYS

In a case that has shocked the communities of Sittingbourne and Watford, Peter Ward, a former teacher with ties to both locations, was sentenced to ten years in prison on Friday, March 23. The conviction stems from a series of heinous sexual abuses committed over nearly a decade, involving multiple young boys who attended schools in the Watford area.

Ward, who previously taught at two schools in Watford, initially appeared to be a dedicated educator. He cultivated relationships with students and their families, often providing additional tutoring sessions at their homes. However, these seemingly benign acts were part of a calculated grooming process designed to manipulate and exploit vulnerable children. His method involved establishing trust with the boys and their families, creating an illusion of mentorship and support, while secretly engaging in sexual misconduct.

The police investigation, led by specially trained detectives from the Child Protection Unit based in South Oxhey, uncovered a disturbing pattern of abuse. Ward was found guilty of multiple charges involving five young boys, aged between 11 and 17. The victims attended Leggatts School in Leggatts Way, which has since closed, and Francis Combe School in Horseshoe Lane. The abuse took place at three different residences where Ward lived—Hillfield Avenue, Hornsey, Belmont Road, and Botley Road in Hemel Hempstead—as well as during trips abroad, including holidays to France.

During the trial, which lasted eight days and concluded in January, the court heard that Ward’s victims were at a vulnerable stage in their lives. Prosecutor Stuart Trimmer emphasized that these boys, now aged between 25 and 33, had gone on to successful careers and expressed gratitude for the tutoring they received. However, he pointed out that Ward exploited this trust to groom them for sexual abuse. The prosecutor detailed how Ward wielded power over the boys, creating a master-apprentice dynamic that involved tests requiring them to undress and participate in acts of indecency.

Judge Ronald Moss, presiding over the case at Luton Crown Court, addressed Ward directly as he stood with his head bowed in the dock. The judge described the abuse as a “catalogue of serious and systematic” misconduct spanning from late 1979 to the early 1990s. He noted that Ward, a married man without children, specifically targeted children from troubled backgrounds—those experiencing parental divorce or financial hardship—and used his position as a teacher to offer them free extra tuition, masking his true intentions.

Judge Moss stated, “Your real intent was to groom the boys for your sexual perversions. You groomed the parents in your way so that they trusted you.” The court found Ward guilty of 16 charges, including four counts of buggery involving two of the boys, ten counts of indecent assault, and two counts of indecency with a child. Ward was arrested in March of the previous year and subsequently suspended from his teaching duties. He is currently residing at Brambling Rise in Sittingbourne, Kent.

The police and child protection authorities continue to appeal for any additional victims to come forward, as they believe there may be more individuals who suffered at Ward’s hands. The case has brought to light the dangers of grooming and exploitation within educational environments, prompting ongoing discussions about safeguarding measures to protect vulnerable children from predators like Peter Ward.