RYAN DENEVEN'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN EDINBURGH, HARROW, AND LEEDS REVEALED

In a series of disturbing incidents spanning several years, Ryan Deneven, a former house master and educator, has been at the center of multiple allegations of sexual misconduct involving teenage students across different locations, including Edinburgh, Harrow, and Leeds.

Back in March 2013, Deneven faced a significant legal setback when he lost an appeal against his two-year prison sentence. The initial sentencing stemmed from his conviction for abusing a teenage girl by providing her with alcohol and engaging in sexual activities. Although he was initially spared incarceration in 2009, receiving only probation for his offenses against two teenagers at St Mary’s Music School in Grosvenor Crescent, the subsequent revelations and new charges led to his imprisonment.

At the time of his 2009 conviction, Deneven-Lewis was a respected figure at the prestigious Edinburgh school, responsible for overseeing boarding pupils. His misconduct involved inappropriate sexual relationships with two girls aged 15 and 16, which he admitted while under the influence of alcohol. Additionally, he acknowledged a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old girl, although she chose not to pursue a formal complaint. These incidents occurred between June and April 2006, during his tenure at the school, and came to light in 2008 through internet postings.

In December of the same year, Deneven-Lewis was brought before London’s Blackfriars Crown Court after a new victim came forward. He admitted to three counts of sexual activity with a minor, which resulted in his sentencing to two years in prison. Despite his appeal efforts, the Court of Appeal, comprising Lord Justice Pitchford, Mrs Justice Sharp, and Sir Geoffrey Grigson, dismissed his request for a reduced sentence. The judges highlighted that Deneven-Lewis had engaged in inappropriate sexual relationships with teenagers on multiple occasions, including a relationship with a 15-year-old girl and a 16-year-old girl while working at the Edinburgh school.

Further details revealed that Deneven-Lewis’s misconduct extended beyond Edinburgh. In August 2009, he was convicted of having sex with a 16-year-old pupil and behaving indecently towards another girl while serving as a house master at a boarding school in Edinburgh. The court was informed that he had abused his position of trust between June 1 and June 30, 2006. These offenses surfaced in 2008 when messages posted online exposed his inappropriate behavior.

During the court proceedings, it was disclosed that Deneven-Lewis, then residing in Headingley, Leeds, had engaged in a pattern of sexual misconduct with students. He had initiated contact with a 16-year-old girl through text messages and later visited her in her room, where he undressed and engaged in sexual acts. The court heard that he had also played pool with a 15-year-old girl in the school dining hall, gradually progressing from playful interactions to sexual touching and coercion. These acts persisted over several months until April 2006, when he began to distance himself from the victims.

His guilty plea to charges of lewd, libidinous, and indecent practices, as well as sexual intercourse with minors, resulted in a sentence of probation and inclusion on the sex offenders register for three years. The court emphasized the importance of rehabilitation, ordering Deneven-Lewis to participate in sex offender group work and expressing hope that he would be able to rebuild his life.

Throughout these proceedings, Deneven-Lewis’s case has drawn significant attention due to the severity and pattern of his misconduct across multiple locations, raising ongoing concerns about safeguarding and the oversight of individuals entrusted with the care of vulnerable minors.