Gareth Rogers

A retired teacher from Newport has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for historical sexual offences against two young boys committed in the 1970s. Gareth Rogers, aged 77 and residing on Commercial Road, was convicted at Newport Crown Court following a trial on one count of serious sexual assault and five counts of indecent assault. The offences took place while Rogers was employed as a history teacher at Caerleon Comprehensive School, where his inappropriate behaviour towards pupils was well-known, earning him the nickname 'Randy Rogers' among students.

Prosecutor Ieuan Bennett presented evidence during the trial, including impact statements from the victims. The first victim, who was 13 or 14 at the time of the abuse, described the profound and lasting effects in his statement: 'The attack occurred when I was 13 or 14 years old. At that time I fully trusted people in positions of trust and responsibility. I knew nothing about paedophilia or that it even existed. It was the 1970s and we just weren't aware. I was a happy child, I became an unhappy adult. The effect on me emotionally was devastating. I no longer trusted anyone. I was terrified of adult males for many years.' He further expressed feelings of self-disgust, low self-esteem, and shame, stating, 'He broke me.' The second victim revealed he had kept the abuse secret for years, highlighting the long-term trauma endured by both.

The court heard that Rogers had a history of sexual offences against children, with prior convictions post-dating the 1970s incidents. In 1997, he was found guilty of indecently assaulting two girls under 14. In February 2014, he was convicted of indecently assaulting two boys in the 1980s, and in March 2014, of sexually assaulting two teenage girls. These formed part of 10 previous offences involving six victims, demonstrating a longstanding pattern of paedophilic behaviour. Despite this, Rogers continues to deny the wrongdoing related to the Newport case, as stated by his barrister Ruth Smith during the sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court.

Judge Tracey-Lloyd Clarke, the Recorder of Cardiff, addressed Rogers directly during sentencing on 19th March 2024, emphasising the severity of his actions: 'It's clear from your convictions that you have a long standing sexual interest in children. Over the years you have severely damaged or destroyed the lives of a number of people. The two victims in this case have clearly had their life severely damaged, and indeed your actions and the consequences of them have utterly destroy the lives that they could and should have been able to lead had you not behaved in the way that you did.' The judge took into account Rogers' age but deemed the custodial sentence appropriate given the gravity of the crimes.

Additional context from the trial included reports that female pupils at the school had attempted to petition against Rogers due to his habit of looking up their skirts on stairwells, underscoring a broader pattern of predatory conduct. Gwent Police investigated the case, though no custody image was available as Rogers had participated in a voluntary interview. This conviction adds to the significant harm caused by Rogers across decades, as reported by the South Wales Argus on 19th March 2024.