Derek Ross Hodder, a 65-year-old martial arts instructor from Brixham, Devon, has been found guilty at Exeter Crown Court of a prolonged campaign of sexual abuse spanning three decades. Known professionally as Ross Hodder, he exploited his role at a local martial arts club to target and abuse nine girls, aged between 10 and 17 at the time of the offences. The abuse, which occurred between 1986 and 2018, involved grooming, psychological manipulation, rape, indecent assault, sexual activity with a child, and indecency with a child.
The trial, lasting seven weeks, heard harrowing accounts from the victims, now adult women, who described how Hodder used his position of authority to initiate contact. Many first encountered him through the club, where he offered massages or Shiatsu sessions that quickly escalated to intimate and sexual touching. One victim recounted how Hodder gave her cannabis and boasted about his massage skills before touching her breasts during a session lit with candles and incense, progressing to full sexual intercourse. She felt too panicked and confused to resist, believing it to be a 'normal' adult experience.
Another witness, who was 13 when Hodder began complimenting her appearance, described being groomed until the age of 14 when the contact turned sexual. She later realised the manipulation but at the time felt it was normalised by Hodder's behaviour. A third victim, aged 15, reported Hodder touching her breasts at the club and telling her not to be ashamed of enjoying it. The court learned of Hodder's pattern of preying on vulnerabilities, buying gifts, providing cannabis, and isolating the girls from their families while making the abuse seem like a 'secret'.
Locations of the offences included Hodder's home, his Renault Laguna car, and the back of his van. He maintained his innocence during the trial, claiming the victims were 'fantasists' and admitting only to consensual sex with three girls when they were 16, 17, and 18 years old. However, the jury, after over 12 hours of deliberation, convicted him on 33 out of 37 charges. A co-defendant, Leslie Coldrick, was acquitted of related charges and released.
Judge Timothy Rose remanded Hodder in custody, stating there was 'no other possible outcome' but prison, and adjourned sentencing to 22 July 2022 for a pre-sentence report and dangerousness assessment. Hodder, who suffers from ill health and had a previous trial abandoned in 2021 due to heart problems, showed a clear pattern of moving from one victim to the next, often targeting girls seeking confidence through martial arts only to be manipulated and abused.
District Crown Prosecutor Lisa Cassidy commended the victims' courage, noting: 'His work as a martial arts coach gave him access to young children and he exploited this over many years. He showed a clear pattern of abuse, grooming young girls and encouraging them to distance themselves from the adults in their lives.' The investigation began in 2018 following a report from a 17-year-old victim, prompting eight more women to come forward. Devon and Cornwall Police led the inquiry, working with the Crown Prosecution Service to build the case.