Charles Phillip Johnson 75

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Charles Phillip Johnson, 72, of Hall Place Drive, Weybridge, pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault on a child and two counts of indecency with a child.

He was sentenced to two years and five months behind bars when he appeared at Guildford Crown Court on Tuesday (February 23).

An investigation was launched after the victim came forward in August 2018 to report physical and sexual abuse against him by Johnson which took place in the 1970s when he was a pupil at Barrow Hills School in Witley, Godalming.

Johnson was a teacher at the school at the time and was subsequently arrested and interviewed before being charged in 2019.

Johnson was sentenced to a year in prison in July 2017 after pleading guilty to two counts of indecently assaulting a boy under the age of 14. He was also given a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

The offences also took place at Barrow Hills School in the late 70s and early 80s.

The school was owned by the Josephites, a religious order, but was sold by them in 1990. Since then it has been run by trustees as an independent charity.

Detective Constable Becky Thomson, of Surrey Police, said on Tuesday: "I hope that Johnson's guilty plea and the sentence he has received today will in some way help the victim to come to terms with what's happened and move on with his life.

"He had the courage to report Johnson's predatory behaviour and I'd like to commend his bravery in coming forward.

"I would also encourage any victim to come forward to Surrey Police and report any similar incidents. Surrey Police treats all allegations of sexual abuse, whether recent or non-recent, extremely seriously.

"Our priority is victim care and people need to feel confident that if they come forward and report an offence, we can help.

"We have a dedicated investigation team for such crime and the dedicated unit works to obtain best evidence. We also work closely with our partner agencies to provide support and care to victims."

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) has also urged anyone who has experienced abuse to seek support.

A spokesperson said: "Johnson's predatory and abusive actions, in flagrant contradiction to his duty of care as a teacher, will have had a profound impact and weighed heavily on his victim for many decades. It is so important he receives all the support he needs to move on with his life.

"This case shows that time is no barrier to justice, and we would urge anyone who has experienced abuse, no matter when it happened, to speak out and seek support."