ADAM WILLIAMS, DEPUTY HEAD AT OXFORDSHIRE SCHOOL, SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL AFFAIR WITH PUPIL
| Red Rose Database
Cheltenham Oxfordshire school Child Sexual Abuser
In September 2012, Adam Williams, a 35-year-old married deputy headteacher from Oxfordshire, was sentenced to two years in prison for engaging in a sexual relationship with a male pupil. Williams, a father of two, first connected with the boy on the gay networking site Grindr. Although he realized the individual was his student, he continued the relationship, which involved kissing and sexual acts performed both at the school and in Williams' car.
The relationship was almost discovered when a cleaner nearly caught the pair. Ultimately, Williams was caught after the victim's sister found explicit images and incriminating text messages on her brother's phone. The trial at Oxford Crown Court revealed that the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, initially lied about his age and identity on Grindr, but Williams later recognized him and chose to continue the interaction despite knowing he was a minor.
Prosecutor Christopher May explained that Williams, who was the head of sixth form and trained in child protection, continued to exchange thousands of messages with the boy, sometimes over 100 messages in a single day, discussing everything from kissing to school issues. Seven instances of sexual activity were identified, including kissing and oral sex, during meetings supervised by Williams.
Williams denied the allegations, claiming the messages were part of a 'fantasy relationship' that the boy was blackmailing him into participating in, threatening to disclose the content unless he was admitted to the sixth form. However, the jury found him guilty of seven counts of sexual activity with a child in a position of trust and inciting sexual activity with a minor.
Judge Julian Hall described Williams' communication as 'teenagerish,' emphasizing that the adult was responsible for initiating and maintaining the relationship, which was a serious breach of trust due to the power imbalance.
The girl's mother expressed her distress following the sentencing, stating, 'I don’t know where to start with the impact that this has had on mine and my family’s life. When we found the text messages and images from Adam Williams, our world turned upside down.' She noted that her family had endured a difficult 10 months, with her feelings of helplessness and guilt.
Williams received a two-year prison sentence for each count, served concurrently, and was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years. He was also placed on the Safeguarding Vulnerable People register. In mitigation, his lawyer noted that Williams' initial intentions may have been innocent but acknowledged that he should have stopped the relationship earlier. The judge criticized Williams for his 'complete denial' and for underestimating the seriousness of his actions, stating, 'It was all your idea. You were the grown-up. You were the teacher.'
The relationship was almost discovered when a cleaner nearly caught the pair. Ultimately, Williams was caught after the victim's sister found explicit images and incriminating text messages on her brother's phone. The trial at Oxford Crown Court revealed that the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, initially lied about his age and identity on Grindr, but Williams later recognized him and chose to continue the interaction despite knowing he was a minor.
Prosecutor Christopher May explained that Williams, who was the head of sixth form and trained in child protection, continued to exchange thousands of messages with the boy, sometimes over 100 messages in a single day, discussing everything from kissing to school issues. Seven instances of sexual activity were identified, including kissing and oral sex, during meetings supervised by Williams.
Williams denied the allegations, claiming the messages were part of a 'fantasy relationship' that the boy was blackmailing him into participating in, threatening to disclose the content unless he was admitted to the sixth form. However, the jury found him guilty of seven counts of sexual activity with a child in a position of trust and inciting sexual activity with a minor.
Judge Julian Hall described Williams' communication as 'teenagerish,' emphasizing that the adult was responsible for initiating and maintaining the relationship, which was a serious breach of trust due to the power imbalance.
The girl's mother expressed her distress following the sentencing, stating, 'I don’t know where to start with the impact that this has had on mine and my family’s life. When we found the text messages and images from Adam Williams, our world turned upside down.' She noted that her family had endured a difficult 10 months, with her feelings of helplessness and guilt.
Williams received a two-year prison sentence for each count, served concurrently, and was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years. He was also placed on the Safeguarding Vulnerable People register. In mitigation, his lawyer noted that Williams' initial intentions may have been innocent but acknowledged that he should have stopped the relationship earlier. The judge criticized Williams for his 'complete denial' and for underestimating the seriousness of his actions, stating, 'It was all your idea. You were the grown-up. You were the teacher.'