Febuary 2009

Teacher jailed for sexually assaulting girls

A former East Riding headteacher has been jailed for four-and-a-half years for sexually assaulting five girls at a Lincolnshire school.

Paedophile Kevin Crabb, 54, was the headteacher at Wawne Primary School, north of Hull, from 1994 to 2007.

he was sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court after he was convicted of nine counts of indecent assault and two charges of indecency with a child.

The offences were committed while he was deputy headteacher at a school near Sleaford, Lincolnshire, in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Crabb, of Cawood Crescent, Skirlaugh, was not arrested for these offences until 2007, when a victim contacted the police.

By that time, he was the headteacher at Wawne Primary School and was immediately suspended.

The specialist sports teacher admitted six charges of indecent assault, but in a trial last month, he was found guilty of a further three charges of indecent assault and two of indecency with a child.

The offences included touching his victims, exposing himself and allowing a girl to touch him inappropriately.

Sentencing him, Judge Michael Heath told him: “The only sentence I can justify for these offences is imprisonment.

“In many respects you were a dedicated teacher and I appreciate you have lost your career, possibly your home and certainly your relationship.”

Crabb was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register and was banned from working with children.

Crabb had previously taught at Alderman Cogan C of E Primary School, east Hull, from 1975 to 1985 and Sproatley Primary School from 1985 to 1988.

A spokesperson for East Riding Council said: “We welcome the four-and-a-half year sentence handed down to Kevin Crabb, which reflects the serious nature of the offences he committed at a time when he was employed in a position of trust and responsibility in a Lincolnshire school.

“As soon as East Riding Council was advised of the accusations against Kevin Crabb we acted swiftly to suspend him and provide an experienced acting headteacher to ensure continuity of learning was maintained. Mr Crabb is no longer an employee of East Riding Council and is barred from holding any post in a school.”