Former teacher sentenced for historic sex offences

Wednesday 15 March 2017

A former teacher found guilty of eight counts of historical sex abuse has been sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison.

Christopher Roy Bacon (74) was charged with indecently assaulting six boys aged between 12 and 15 years old in the 1970s and 80s.

His victims told the Royal Court that he had spanked them in “various states of undress” and induced them to remove their trousers in return for fewer beatings.

After Police spotted graffiti linking Bacon to the illicit activity in 1985, a statement was taken in which he admitted to having a “romp around” with one particular 15-year-old victim.

He was dealt with by way of written caution at a St Saviour Parish Hall Enquiry, but the case was reopened when one of the victims came forward in 2015.

Throughout the trial, Bacon maintained his innocence, but a jury found him guilty by majority on five counts, and unanimously on three.

Crown Advocate Conrad Yates told former Bailiff and Royal Court Commissioner Michael Birt, who sat with six jurats of the Superior Number, that the offences were enough to merit a custodial sentence of five-and-a-half years.

He argued that Bacon’s decision to represent himself at trial and therefore cross-examine each of the witnesses personally “amount[ed] to secondary victimisation” and was “extremely harrowing."

But Advocate David Steenson, appearing on behalf of Mr Bacon for the first time, argued for "mercy and leniency" in sentencing on the grounds that it was, "unlikely that Mr Bacon, now aged 74, will lead anything resembling a normal life again."

However, Commissioner Birt agreed with the sentence moved for by Crown Advocate Yates.

In handing down his judgement, he commented: "Despite your admission in 1985, you pleaded not guilty to all the charges and you made your victims come to court and relive what had happened to them."

While the Court were mindful of Bacon's lack of offending following the 1985 caution, and that Bacon had finally accepted what he had done "albeit at the eleventh hour", Commissioner Birt concluded that the Crown had "allowed sufficient mitigation".

Bacon will now be on the sex offenders' register for the next 10 years.