Classrooms are meant to be safe havens for learning, but some predatory teachers have exploited their positions of trust to commit abhorrent crimes. Below is a roundup of former educators who have been jailed for sexual offences against students.
Rebecca Joynes
Rebecca Joynes, 31, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison in July last year for engaging in sexual relationships with two pupils. She groomed a 15-year-old boy with a trip to the Trafford Centre, where she bought him a £345 Gucci belt. She later became pregnant by another teenage student, also aged 15. Joynes was convicted of six charges of sexual activity with a child at Manchester Crown Court, including two counts of sexual activity with a child while in a position of trust. The identities of the boys and the school are protected by law.
Gregory Pichery
Former dance teacher Gregory Pichery, 57, was jailed for sexually assaulting two men while working at a performing arts college in Leicester. He touched students during class and while they were trying on costumes between 2004 and 2012. A third victim came forward in 2019. Pichery also sent sexual comments on Facebook to one victim.
David Wilkinson
David Wilkinson, 77, a former teacher at Wolverley Secondary School in Kidderminster, was jailed for three years for non-recent sexual offences. He was convicted of three counts of indecent assault on a girl under 16, dating back to the 1980s. He received 18 months for two counts to run consecutively and 18 months for the third to run concurrently.
Peter Jenkins
Peter Jenkins, 53, from Solihull, admitted a string of historical sexual assaults on young girls between 1984 and 2005. He groomed four victims, including a 12-year-old girl he befriended at university and a 16-year-old he abused while running a holiday club with his wife. The crimes came to light in 2020 when Jenkins contacted a solicitor to disclose his offences. He was jailed after a West Midlands Police investigation.
Martin Wynne
Martin Wynne, 50, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for sexually abusing four boys over a decade. He performed sex acts on his victims and made them perform acts on him. He was convicted of three counts of indecency with a child and 15 counts of indecent assault on a boy under 16. Prosecutor Gordon Aspden KC said the offences involved clear planning and premeditation, with profound effects on victims and their families.
