Locations
Northend Lane, Droxford, SO32 3QN
Description
Hilary was convicted of 14 counts of indecent assault against five girls between 1978 and 1984
A former Farnborough PE teacher and athletics coach was today sentenced to 15 years in prison after sexually assaulting five girls under the age of 16 when he was a teacher.
Richard Hilary, now 67, would "test the boundaries" of girls in his care by touching their breasts while dancing or, in one case, pushing snow down their bra, before encouraging them to engage in sexual activity with him on later occasions.
Winchester Crown Court heard Hilary incited several girls to perform oral sex on him during trips out in his car and asked one of them to "sit" on his penis.
He targeted five victims, aged from 11 to 15, who were groomed by Hilary and urged to engage in sexual activity with him.
On another occasion, Hilary photographed one of the victims naked in his bath.
Hilary was convicted of 14 counts of indecent assault against five girls between 1978 and 1984 when when he was a teacher at The Wavell School in Farnborough and a coach at Winchester Athletics Club.
He also spent 12 years as headteacher of Chamberlayne Park School in Southampton, Hants, after the alleged offences took place.
The court heard Hilary "cultivated completely inappropriate relationships with a number of young girls".
He 'abused his position' as a teacher and coach 'in order to indecently assault highly impressionable underage girls'.
The court heard some of the victims kept diaries which detailed the extent of Hilary's abuse, most of which took place on the school grounds.
A number of victims came forward after Hillary, of Northend Way, Droxford, was cleared of three counts of indecent assault against a child after a trial in May 2014.
Hilary, who retired from teaching in 2006, had denied all 14 charges of indecent assault.
Rob Welling, from the CPS, said: "Richard Hilary abused his position of trust as a teacher to indecently assault young girls he had responsibility for.
"Hilary was described by many of his victims as a popular and dynamic teacher, a fact he exploited as he groomed the girls into performing sexual acts for him.
"The CPS was able to use the teenage diaries of his victims which made clear Hilary's crimes at the time they happened and provided compelling evidence to put before the jury.
"I commend the victims who reported Hilary and supported this prosecution."