A FORMER headteacher due to be sentenced for molesting young boys was the man found dead in the Thames on Tuesday, it has emerged today.

David Tuohy, 83, was supposed to be facing Norwich Crown Court on Monday for sentence after being convicted last month for 15 counts of indecent assault against five boys in the 1970s and 80s.

Today the Oxfordshire Coroner’s office confirmed that a man whose body was found in the Thames on Tuesday evening by police divers was Tuohy.

Police had been called to a bench on the towpath of the Thames downriver from Osney Lock at about 7.20am after a passerby noticed a bloodstain and a Rotary watch.

Officers cordoned off the area and police divers then searched the river.

Tuohy’s body was discovered and brought to the surface at about 6pm. A new-looking Stanley knife was also recovered by police.

Thames Valley Police have said they were not treating his death as suspicious.

A spokesman for Norfolk Constabulary said: “Norfolk Constabulary can confirm confirm 83-year-old David William Tuohy, who was due to be sentenced after being found guilty of a string of sexual offences against pupils at an independent school has died.

"His victims have been notified of this latest development."

Tuohy lived in Whitehouse Road in Oxford.

A jury found Tuohy guilty of 15 separate charges of indecent assault on February 12.

The court heard he assaulted the boys in the 1970s during his time as head at New Eccles Hall School, in Quidenham, Norfolk.

All of the charges are in connection to five boys who were under 13 between September 1972 and March 1983.

Tuohy, 83, denied 18 counts of indecent assault and four of a a serious sexual offence.
The jury took five and a half hours to return its verdict.

Our top stories

 

Dc Faith Morris, of Norfolk Constabulary, said when he was convicted: "Tuohy used a position of absolute trust to abuse his victims and commit a string of offences.

"The fact Tuohy pleaded not guilty to all counts meant his victims were forced to relive the traumatic events which occurred all those years ago.”

Tuohy was convicted of seven counts of indecent assault against one boy, three counts of indecent assault against a second boy, one count against a third, two counts against a fourth and two against a fifth.

He was found not guilty of seven counts including four serious sexual assaults and three indecent assaults against one of the boys.

Norwich Crown Court heard that following publicity of the case a further three or four possible victims have come forward.

Dc Morris said the first victim came forward in 2013, adding: "Not only was it incredibly brave for him to come forward and speak to the police but such courage led to further victims coming forward resulting in further charges against Tuohy."

Tuohy was released on conditional bail. He was due to appear at Norwich Crown Court on Wednesday next week.

Opening the case, prosecutor Andrew Shaw told jurors: "You may think from the evidence that he had a particular deviant sexual fascination with the bottoms of very young boys."

Mr Shaw added: "It was a boarding school which catered for children who had not thrived in mainstream education in areas all over the country - in today's language we would say they had special educational or behavioural needs.

"They were separated from their families and plunged in to an unfamiliar environment.

"As one of the people charged with the duty of caring for these children, he abused the trust placed in him and used these children for his own sexual gratification."