Gary Vigar

Gary Vigar, a 32-year-old former teacher from Purley, faced trial at Croydon Crown Court for a series of child sex offences committed while he was employed at Oaks Park High School in Carshalton in 2020. The case centred on his sexual abuse and rape of a teenage girl, with whom he had initiated contact through online messaging.

On the first day of the trial, prosecutor Szilvia Booker outlined to the jury how Vigar's interactions with the victim began innocently but quickly escalated. The child described to police how Vigar made comments that made her feel good, something she said no one else had done. Their communications progressed to FaceTime and WhatsApp, involving what the prosecution described as sexting. The court heard that the pair exchanged over 2,000 messages, including late-night phone calls after Vigar's wife had gone to bed, during which he asked the girl to say certain things while he masturbated. One message from Vigar read: 'I finish quick on FaceTime tonight you’re teasing me'.

The relationship soon turned physical, with Vigar inciting the girl to kiss him by betting her £6 that they would not do it. Subsequent encounters involved him making her masturbate him on at least six occasions, as alleged by the prosecution. The victim told officers that while she was initially an enthusiastic participant, she later felt oppressed, particularly when Vigar expressed a desire to take her virginity. She recounted: 'I was scared that if I didn’t do something he asked... Don’t get wrong, at the start I was taking part and was asking for it, but towards the end I didn’t really want it. He said he wanted to take my virginity, he always asked me to go to his house and I kept saying no.'

Vigar initially denied any sexual relationship with the child during police interviews. However, on the second day of his trial last Tuesday, he changed his pleas and admitted guilt to two charges of sexual assault of a child by touching, three charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and one charge of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent. He continued to plead not guilty to rape and sexual activity with a child involving penetration. The Crown Prosecution Service accepted his guilty pleas, leading to the discharge of the jury.

Vigar is set to be sentenced by Judge Elizabeth Smaller in February. The case was reported by Josh Bolton, court and crime reporter for This is Local London, based on proceedings at Croydon Crown Court.