A former Weymouth headteacher has been jailed for four years after being found guilty of indecently assaulting a pupil in the 1990s.
David Akers, 61 and of Waddon in Weymouth, was found guilty on Thursday 13 April 2017 at Bournemouth Crown Court of three counts of indecent assault following a nine-day trial. He was found not guilty of three other counts of indecent assault.
Akers was also told he would be on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
The court heard that Akers was employed as deputy headteacher at Budmouth School at the time of the offences, which date back to the 1990s.
He befriended his victim, who was under the age of 16 at the time and a pupil at the school, and would drive her in his car to remote locations and indecently assault her, the court was told.
The offences came to light when the she told her partner and her friends in 2015.
In police interview Akers said he knew the victim as she was a former pupil, but denied there had been any sexual contact with the girl.
Detective Constable Richard Bayley, of Weymouth CID, said: “David Akers was in a position of trust and abused that trust to engage in an inappropriate relationship with a pupil.
“I wish to pay tribute to the victim in this case for her bravery in coming forward and reporting these offences.
“I would like to thank the school and partner agencies who worked with Dorset Police throughout this investigation.
“I hope this conviction and sentence sends out a very clear message that Dorset Police takes all sexual allegations seriously, no matter when they were committed, and ensure victims are listened to and offenders are brought to justice.”
