Sixth form head at £48,000 a year public school faces jail after being found guilty of sexually abusing two pupils
- Russell Tillson, now 73, assaulted the teenagers at Tonbridge School in Kent
- He was found guilty on Thursday following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court
A former head of sixth form at a £48,000 a year public school is facing jail after being found guilty of sexually abusing two pupils.
Russell Tillson indecently assaulted the teenagers 17 years apart while teaching economics and politics at the renowned Tonbridge School, an all-boys’ boarding and day school in Kent.
The now 73-year-old, who played ‘a prominent role’ in assisting pupils with their university applications, in particular Oxford and Cambridge, denied offences dating back to 1984 and 2001.
However Tillson, also a Conservative councillor and former local Tory association chairman, was found guilty on Thursday following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court, Kent.
Jurors heard he molested the boys either during one-to-one tuition or ‘social occasions’ in his private accommodation at the school and where he permitted pupils to drink alcohol and smoke.
Russell Tillson, the former head of sixth form at a £48,000 a year public school is facing jail after being found guilty of sexually abusing two pupils
The alleged abuse committed in 1984 had been reported by one boy to the school at the time, only for him to be told the matter would not be taken further as Tillson was ‘too valuable’ a staff member, the court heard.
However, further indecent acts were reported to the school in 2001 and, following an internal investigation, Tillson left after 21 years of teaching there.
But it was not until February 2019 however that police were involved. Officers contacted the school, traced the victims and then arrested Tillson in October 2020.
The pensioner, who described himself as having been ‘one of the top brass’ at the school, dismissed the accusations as ‘fiction’, the jury of eight men and four women was told.
But, describing himself as a ‘closet homosexual’, he confirmed he had held social gatherings for his pupils where he gave them beer or sherry to drink, telling officers it ‘added to the conviviality’.
Tillson had denied six charges of indecent assault in respect of three pupils. He was convicted of four offences against two boys.
He has now been released on bail until his sentencing hearing on September 1 but was warned by Judge Philip St.John-Stevens that he faces jail.
Tonbridge School provides education for around 800 pupils and is set on a 150-acre site
At the start of his trial, prosecutor Dominic Connolly told jurors: ‘It is clear from the evidence that you will hear that Mr Tillson was a charismatic and successful teacher.
‘The Crown say that he abused his position of trust in order to assault pupils for his sexual pleasure.’
But giving evidence, Cambridge-educated Tillson maintained although he ‘helped hundreds’ with prepping for university, he did not use his ‘powerful position to take advantage’.
Tonbridge School provides education for around 800 pupils and is set on a 150-acre site.
In December last year, it was the 8th highest-ranking independent school in the country, and the top boys’ boarding school, in the Sunday Times ‘Parent Power’ league table.
The court heard the pupils, all boarders, later described Tillson to police as ‘charismatic, brilliant and someone you wanted to get on with’ if considering Oxbridge universities.
One said it was during private tuition sessions to help prepare for a university entrance exam that the teacher first handed him a pre-written essay and a ‘glowing’ reference before squeezing and stroking his leg.
The abuse then became ‘more persistent’ with Tillson putting his hand inside the boy’s trousers.
Tillson, also a Conservative councillor and former local Tory association chairman, was found guilty on Thursday following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court, Kent
He fled and the incident was later reported to the school by his parent.
‘There was an internal investigation that led to Mr Tillson leaving Tonbridge School in 2001,’ Mr Connolly told the court.
‘The matter was not taken any further until the police were provided with paperwork by the school in February 2019.’
Tillson, from Dymchurch in Kent, was himself Cambridge-educated, achieving an honours degree in economics, and had lived at various properties provided by Tonbridge School during his career.
The jury was told he had links to four other independent educational establishments including Brighton College in Sussex and Wellington School in Berkshire.
His political career in Kent has seen him serve as deputy leader of Shepway District Council and chairman of the Folkestone and Hythe Conservative Association.
The one-time school governor has also sat on New Romney Town Council, Dymchurch Parish Council and St Mary in the Marsh Parish Council.
Source: Read Full Article
