ROGER COCKING SHOCKS SHAFTESBURY WITH CHILD ABUSE AND PORN SCANDAL

In July 2003, a disturbing case emerged involving Roger Cocking, a teacher from Shaftesbury, Dorset, who was convicted of heinous crimes against young girls. The allegations revealed that Cocking, aged 51 and married with two children, had engaged in a series of sexual abuses targeting pupils as young as five years old during private lessons held at his residence.

According to court reports, Cocking used his position as a mathematics teacher at King Alfred Middle School in Shaftesbury to lure six of his students, aged between five and eleven, into his home under the pretense of providing extra tuition. Once there, he subjected them to a series of sexual abuses, which took place both in his study and in a specially constructed playroom designed to entertain and manipulate the children.

The court heard harrowing details of the abuse, including one girl being indecently assaulted at least fifteen times between the ages of five and ten. Another victim recounted how Cocking touched her while she sat on his knee during lessons, and others described being molested during various games such as piggy-back rides and hide-and-seek. These acts of abuse only came to light after police raided Cocking’s home in Poole, Dorset, as part of an investigation into child pornography.

During the police operation, officers found Cocking in possession of 14 CDs containing explicit images of children, to which he reportedly responded, “I’ve been expecting this.” The investigation revealed that Cocking had downloaded approximately 15,000 child pornographic images from the internet, further implicating him in serious criminal activity.

Following his arrest, the six girls who had been victimized came forward to provide detailed accounts of the abuse. Cocking subsequently admitted to eight counts of indecent assault, four counts of gross indecency, and 21 counts of making indecent images of children. His sentencing at Bournemouth Crown Court resulted in a prison term of five and a half years, with three years for the sexual assaults and an additional two and a half years for the possession and distribution of child pornography.

The judge also imposed a lifelong ban on Cocking working with children and mandated that he register as a sex offender indefinitely. Despite the severity of his crimes, some parents expressed outrage over the leniency of the sentence, particularly the judge’s decision to allow Cocking to serve only two-thirds of his term. One mother stated, “It still makes me sick to think about what he did to my daughter,” while another added, “My girl was given a life sentence but he’ll be out soon. I can’t believe the judge was so lenient.” The case has left the community in shock, highlighting the devastating impact of abuse and the importance of vigilance in protecting vulnerable children.