A former teacher at the prestigious Eton College has been convicted of sexually abusing a pupil, marking a significant breach of trust within one of Britain's most elite educational institutions. Jacob Leland, aged 37, who taught Russian in the school's Modern Languages department from September 2010 to August 2012, was found guilty on Tuesday at Reading Crown Court of three counts of sexual assault against a boy he used to teach. The offences involved Leland performing oral sex on the unnamed pupil during a school trip, as well as kissing him and placing his hand on the boy's groin on his birthday.
The court heard detailed testimony about how Leland abused his position of authority. Described as a 'young, vibrant, energetic, charismatic' individual, Leland served as an assistant to the housemaster at Common Lane House, one of Eton's 25 boarding houses. His duties included taking the register at 8pm and overseeing 'lights out' later in the evening, during which he would help put the boys to bed on Monday nights. One ex-pupil recounted to the court how Leland would engage in wrestling matches in the boys' bedrooms, applying his 'whole body weight' on them. The witness told The Telegraph: 'He would wrestle us on our beds. You’d be sitting in your room, he’d come in, talk to you and then say, 'OK, let’s wrestle'.' Leland himself admitted in court that due to his youthful appearance, he was often mistaken for a boy by other staff members, positioning him more like an 'older brother' than a traditional teacher.
Leland was acquitted of 11 other historic offences, but the guilty verdicts on the three counts of sexual assault underscore the severity of his actions. No other teacher at Eton was reported to have behaved similarly with pupils. This case is the fourth instance since 2010 involving serious misconduct by a former Eton teacher, highlighting ongoing concerns about safeguarding at the school.
In response to the verdict, Simon Henderson, the current headmaster of Eton College, issued a statement expressing profound regret. In an email to all past students, he described Leland’s behaviour as an 'egregious breach of trust' and offered 'unreserved apologies' to those impacted. Henderson stated: 'As Head Master, I am appalled that this abuse happened at Eton. Mr Leland’s criminal conduct represents the most egregious breach of trust and, although he has also been acquitted on a number of counts, the associated testimony from the court case raises a number of very significant concerns about what happened.' He further acknowledged the delay in the case coming to light, saying: 'Eton needs to acknowledge not only that something this serious was able to take place at our school, but also that it took several years for the details of what happened to come to light. Those who were directly impacted by Mr Leland’s actions had the right to be safe and secure in our care. It is devastating for them and for us that they were not.' The headmaster announced that Eton would conduct an external review to address the issues raised by the trial testimony.
Leland is scheduled to be sentenced on 11 December 2025 at Reading Crown Court. The case, reported by The Standard and drawing on court proceedings and statements from Eton College, serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities within educational environments and the importance of robust safeguarding measures.