BRETT MEEDS FROM PETERBOROUGH AND DEREHAM SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF PUPILS IN NORFOLK

In a case that has shocked the local communities of Dereham and Peterborough, a former science teacher named Brett Meeds has been sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of engaging in sexual misconduct with three of his pupils in Norfolk. The disturbing case came to light after concerns were raised by students about Meeds's inappropriate behaviour, prompting an investigation that uncovered a pattern of grooming and abuse.

Meeds, aged 28 and originally from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, had been employed at Northgate High School and Dereham Sixth Form College from 2005 until 2009. During this period, he built a seemingly professional reputation, receiving positive feedback during his training placements. However, beneath this facade, he was allegedly grooming and exploiting vulnerable students for his own sexual gratification.

The victims, three teenage girls aged 15 and 16, were targeted over a period from late 2008 to early 2009. The court heard that Meeds engaged in a series of manipulative behaviours, including chatting with the girls at school, texting them, and communicating via the internet. His actions culminated in taking one of the girls to his home, where he engaged in sexual activity with her. The other two girls were also subjected to sexual abuse on multiple occasions, although their identities are protected by law.

Prosecutors detailed that Meeds’s misconduct was facilitated by his position of trust as a teacher, which he exploited to gain access to the students. The investigation revealed that he had possessed indecent photographs of two girls under the age of 18, further compounding his criminal conduct. Meeds pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault, five counts of engaging in sexual activity with minors in breach of his professional trust, and two charges related to possessing indecent images.

Despite his guilty pleas, Meeds denied two additional charges of sexual activity with two of the girls, which were subsequently ordered to be left on file. The court was told that Meeds had been advised that a custodial sentence was inevitable, leading to his five-year imprisonment and an indefinite ban from working with children. The judge emphasized the severity of his breach of trust and the harm caused to the victims.

Following the sentencing, Lorraine Irwin, the prosecutor, expressed her condemnation of Meeds’s actions, stating, “Meeds was in a position of trust as a teacher and abused this trust and preyed on these innocent girls for his own sexual gratification. The victims in this case have been through a terrible ordeal and, in these very difficult circumstances, have been very brave in coming forward. We hope they can now begin to move on positively with their lives, and we are glad that this case has reached a successful conclusion.”

Detective Inspector Matt Sharman of Norfolk Police’s Vulnerable People Directorate highlighted the grooming aspect of the case, saying, “Having started the inquiry into the original complaint, it became clear that there were other girls who may have been involved with Meeds. You could say he was chatting them up or trying to start a relationship with them, and I would call it grooming. His role as a teacher gave him the opportunity of meeting girls during the day, followed by conversations, texting, and internet messaging. These young lives are put in the trust of teachers and the school, and it was a severe breach of that trust.”

He further commended the resilience of the victims, stating, “The girls have been extremely strong. The full realization of the implications of what happened came slowly. They have coped admirably.”

Northgate High School’s acting head, Sue Wheeler, expressed her disgust and disappointment, saying, “I cannot voice strongly enough just how disgusted we are by what Brett Meeds did. We employed him in good faith, and he thoroughly exploited the position of trust he was placed in. The school has worked closely with Norfolk County Council’s children’s services and the police during their extensive investigation. I want to thank them for the support they provided for our pupils and parents. I also want to pay tribute to the young people who helped bring Meeds to justice. He has rightly been sent to jail and will not be able to continue his career as a teacher elsewhere.”