Alexander Johnston

A former teacher from Hertfordshire has been imprisoned for possessing child abuse images that he created over five decades ago. Alexander Johnston, aged 78 and residing on Longmeadow Road in Cornwall, was sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court after changing his plea on the first day of his trial on 9 January.

Johnston, who worked at Bishop's Stortford College—a boarding school in Hertfordshire—during the late 1970s, committed the offences between 1976 and 1979. The court heard that he exploited his position of authority by plying his victim with alcohol and producing indecent images for his own sexual gratification. Although legislation from that era prevented conviction for the creation of the images, Johnston's possession of them into the present day provided the evidential basis for his prosecution.

Police from Hertfordshire Constabulary's Non-Recent Child Abuse Investigation Team recovered the images, which had been kept by Johnston for more than 50 years. Detective Constable Jess Berg commended the victim's bravery in reporting the abuse, stating: 'Firstly, I want to commend the victim for their incredible bravery in coming forward to speak of their experiences of Johnston’s offending, without them he would never have answered for his crimes. He is a dangerous sexual predator, someone who took advantage of a position of power for his own sexual gratification.' Berg emphasised the force's commitment to pursuing historical sexual offences, noting: 'It does not matter how much time has passed, we were able to get this dangerous predator sent to prison for crimes he committed fifty years ago.'

Johnston received a custodial sentence of 51 weeks and was ordered to join the Sexual Offenders’ Register for 10 years. The case underscores the long arm of the law in addressing child sexual exploitation, even after decades have elapsed. Bishop’s Stortford College cooperated fully with the investigation, as acknowledged by the police.