A FORMER headmaster is facing a jail sentence after being convicted of a string of sex offences against boys at his school over an 11 year period.

Roland Peter Wright "abused his position of authority", the Crown Prosecution Service said, to carry out the offences at Caldicott Boys' Preparatory School in Farnham Royal between 1959 and 1970.

Now aged 83 Wright, of Crown Lane, Farnham Royal, was found guilty of ten counts of indecent assault on a male and two of indecency with a child for offences carried out against five former pupils at the school.

He was found guilty by an Amersham Crown Court jury on Tuesday - having been cleared of three other offences at an earlier trial.

The previous trial - and the guilty pleas of two other ex teachers at the school - could not be reported until now for legal reasons.

Hugh Henry, 82, of Pomeroy Close, Amersham, is due to be sentenced alongside Wright on February 6 after previously admitting 11 counts of indecency with or towards a child, and two of gross indecency with a child.

John Addrison, 54, of Datchet Road, Slough, was jailed for five years and ordered to remain on the Sex Offenders' Register for life after pleading guilty to 14 counts of indecency with or towards a child. A 71-year-old Hampshire man was cleared of four charges of indecent assault on a child under 16 in a separate trial.

Ruth Bowskill, Temporary Chief Crown Prosecutor for Thames and Chiltern Crown Prosecution Service said after the verdicts were given: "The position of trust held by these men, the young age of the victims and their vulnerability at the time of the abuse greatly increases the seriousness of these already grave offences.

"Roland Wright was a particularly trusted member of staff at Caldicott School and became the head teacher.Not only did he breach the trust of the pupils at the school, their parents and the staff, Wright also abused his position of authority in order to gain access to his victims. 

"It is only due to the great courage and persistence of the victims and those affected by the abuse that the despicable behaviour of these teachers at the school has been exposed.

"Roland Wright has never shown any contrition for his behaviour or apologised for his conduct. At all times he has sought to evade responsibility for what he did.

"I would like to pay tribute to the victims and witnesses in this case for their strength and tenacity in coming forward and giving evidence on matters which must still have been extremely distressing years after the events took place.

"These convictions serve as an important message to people who have been the victim of crimes such as these that they should come forward regardless of when the offence occurred because time is not a barrier to justice.

"The emotional impact on Wright’s victims and those of the other teachers is impossible to quantify. I hope that the convictions gives some small comfort to the victims involved. Our thoughts are very much with them all at this time."