A perverted art teacher who preyed on boys as young as seven for decades has been jailed for 15 years.
Terrence John Waters abused his position to attack boys aged seven to 13.
The 82-year-old was a teacher at Allen House Prep School in Hook Heath, Woking, when he preyed on 14 different boys.
The majority of this abuse involved 12 of his former pupils and took place between 1978 and 1984.
He also abused another two boys at other locations, including his address in Old Woking, between 1984 and 1988.
Now, some of his victims have shared the impact of his abuse.
‘These events stole an important part of my childhood innocence,’ one of his victims said.
‘His actions have had a profound effect on my life that has lasted right up to this day.
Terrence John Waters abused his position to attack boys aged seven to 13
‘I have had to repeatedly relive those experiences over the last five years since giving my statement to police and giving evidence at this trial.
‘The emotional toll is something that no amount of money can repair.’
Waters, from Driffield in East Yorkshire, used his position as a teacher to abuse young boys, with the abuse taking place in the art building of the school.
This was away from the main school building and contained a dark room for developing photographs, as well as a loft area.
He also organised camping trips in the school holidays where more abuse took place.
Waters would also take photographs of the victims in exchange for favours or payment.
He would use the false pretence that they were modelling for sculptures or book covers.
Speaking about the abuse, a victim added: ‘I cannot explain why it is that I don’t feel angry when I think about what he did to me. I feel empty. When you are abused as a child, abuse seems normal. In later life, you expect abuse, or even subconsciously seek it out.
‘Abuse twists your relationship with the world. It takes a beautiful and innocent time, and it scars it. It changes the way you look at physical relationships. I tried to lock those feelings away. Of course, they come to the surface in other ways.’
One victims said this had a long impact on his life: ‘I found following the abuse that I avoided making friends with boys and men.
‘I have struggled since that age with my weight as eating became a comfort and would make me forget about things, I suffered with depression and still have this impacting on my life today which requires me to take medication. As a result of what happened to me,
‘I found I repressed my sexuality and missed out on many years of being who I am.’
Another victim said: ‘First of all, I would like to thank sincerely Surrey Police in the last five years of this investigation. I would like you to hear the voice of the eleven-year-old child that I was then.
‘Allen House school was a small, seemingly safe prep school, set in beautiful grounds outside Woking. Terry Waters was a popular teacher who used his position of trust to groom and sexually assault little boys in his care.
‘When the investigation began in 2019, wounds that had closed over 35 years started to reopen. The old sense of guilt, the old sense of secrecy, the old sense of dark favouritism had returned. Some may say that we were complicit, however we were eleven-year-old children, and a child cannot legally consent to sexual activity.’
Waters pleaded guilty to 20 counts of indecent assault and seven counts of indecency with a child at an earlier hearing. During a trial at Guildford Crown Court he pleaded guilty to another five offences, including gross indecency with a child and four counts of indecent assault.
The jury then found him guilty of four more offences, including indecent assault, gross indecency with a child and two counts of buggery. He was jailed for 15 years.
Detective Inspector Ross Linaker, who led the investigation, said: ‘Waters was a sexual predator who used his position as a trusted member of staff at a well-respected school to abuse and violate innocent young boys.
‘The outcome in the court today is the result of a lengthy and complex investigation and shows that no matter how long ago the abuse took place, we will always carry out a thorough investigation to seek justice and ensure perpetrators are punished for their actions.
‘If you believe you have been the victim of sexual abuse, whether recent or non-recent, please report it to us. You will be listened to, and you will be supported.’
