A FORMER teacher has been found guilty of sex offences against boarding school pupils.
Jonathan O’Brien, 55, abused youngsters at The Oratory, Woodcote, South Oxfordshire and a school in Worcestershire.
O’Brien, of Fairfield Road, Bosham, West Sussex, was convicted on five counts of gross indecency and 15 counts of indecent assault. During a four-week trial at Chichester Crown Court, jurors heard he targeted “clever, slim, blond, blue-eyed, sporty boys”.
He used extra tuition sessions and ingratiated himself with boys’ families to build trust, they were told.
O’Brien exploited friendships between pupils as well as loneliness of unpopular boys and those whose parents lived abroad, they were told.
Jurors heard he told victims they were “sharing a secret” and was “charming” and would “dazzle those he met”.
West Mercia Police’s Det Sgt Steve Cook said O’Brien “disgracefully abused the position of trust he was in”.
Sentencing will take place at a later date.
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