March 2012 Devon school worker Matthew Moses jailed for sex with girls A former school maintenance worker has been jailed for three years for having sexual relationships with two female pupils at a Devon school. Matthew Moses, 30, from Teignmouth, admitted 17 counts of sexual activity with a child at Exeter Crown Court. His offending came to light when one of the two 15-year-old victims told a teacher in 2010, the court heard. Moses worked at the school, which cannot be named, between 2005 and 2010. ‘Grooming and preparation’
The court heard he had a two-year affair with one girl and a 10-month relationship with the second. Judge Graham Cottle said: “These offences were in gross breach of the trust placed in you to behave properly towards them. “There was a degree of grooming and preparation of these two girls for the sexual activity to which you progressed with each of them.” Moses was well known in the community having played rugby for Teignmouth and was a volunteer firefighter and lifeboat crewman in Teignmouth. Judge Cottle said: “I discount the sentence to reflect the fact you are of positive good character and a young man who is extremely well thought of in the community where you live and engaged in a lot of community activities.” Miss Mary McCarthy, defending, said Moses was left without a moral compass after his mother died of cancer and he did not realise the seriousness of what he was doing. He was put on the sex offenders’ register, made subject of a sexual offences prevention order for life, and banned from working with children.