Former head of music at Cobham Free School, 42, who was sacked after being accused of grooming girl pupils is jailed for seven years for raping nine-year-old boy in the 1990s

• Chris Pearson, 42, was sacked from Cobham Free School in 2017 
• Was arrested on suspicion of ‘grooming’ pupils but was released without charge
• He was convicted at Croydon Crown Court of rape and indecency with a child
• Abuse of boy, nine, took place when he was aged between 15 and 16 in 1990s 

The former Head of Music at a leading Surrey school has been jailed for sexually abusing a young boy while in his teenage years nearly thirty years ago.

Chris Pearson, 42, who attended the Royal College of Music, lost his career in 2017 when separately arrested on suspicion of ‘grooming’ girls at Cobham Free School.

He got a job as a train guard with South Western Railway, but is now starting a seven-year sentence for abusing a nine year-old boy in the 1990s.

Married father-of-two Pearson, of Beaconsfield Road, Chatham, Kent was unanimously convicted of three counts of rape and one count of indecency with a child.

The jury at Croydon Crown Court unanimously found him not guilty of another count of indecency with a child.

The abuse of the boy took place between June, 1995 and July, 1997 at his parents’ home in Beaumont Road, Petts Wood, Orpington. 

The former Head of Music at a leading Surrey school has been jailed for sexually abusing a young boy while in his teenage years nearly thirty years ago. Chris Pearson (pictured), 42, who attended the Royal College of Music, lost his career in 2017 when separately arrested on suspicion of ‘grooming’ girls at Cobham Free School

Judge Deborah Charles told Pearson today (Thursday): ‘You raped him repeatedly. In evidence in court he said he thought he had been raped on a dozen occasions.

‘At the time you raped him he didn’t realise what you were doing to him was wrong. 

‘You had groomed him under the guise of playing games, having to guess what music track was being played.

‘He felt tormented mentally and the forfeit was a wrestling game, where you would put a hold on him, sitting on him and pulling his head back until he as screaming in agony and begging for mercy.

‘This was not experimentation on one occasion. This was not merely impulsive behaviour. 

‘You planned what you were doing and using the guise of a wrestling game to instigate sexual contact.

‘There is no evidence or remorse, which the court could take into account. He had no axe to grind against you, there had been no falling out.’

In his victim impact statement the complainant said he was coming forward to rid himself of ‘the demons’ that had ‘plagued his life’ for twenty-five years.

He suffered ‘flashbacks’ and ‘triggers’ to childhood memories he would rather forget and spoke of ‘years of suffering’ due to Pearson.

Prosecutor Richard Job told the jury Pearson was fifteen to sixteen years-old and the victim regularly visited his family home between the ages of nine and eleven years-old.

The complainant was not a relative, but would spend time in Pearson’s teenage bedroom at the defendant’s invitation, initially for fun wrestling.

‘The defendant would invite him up to his room to play with him, wrestling as WWF was very popular at the time.

‘The defendant would try out his latest wrestling moves on the younger, weaker child,’ added Mr Job.

The victim told the jury he was smaller than Pearson and would be ‘forced to submit’ during the wrestling sessions and would ‘scream in agony.’

Pearson also enjoyed demanding the younger boy ‘beg for mercy’ the court heard.

‘There may have been bullying physically, but he was also sexually abused, forced down onto the bed and raped for the defendant’s sexual pleasure.

‘The defendant would also ask the younger boy to play with him intimately on a number of occasions.

‘The defendant took advantage of his youth and naivety, not appreciating the enormity of what was happening.

Pearson taught at Cobham Free School (pictured) until 2017, when he was arrested on suspicion of ‘grooming’ girls

‘In his teens the complainant recognised he had been abused and felt shame and disgust.’

The jury were told the complainant first revealed what happened to his half-brother in 2017 and the police were then informed.

Officers later interviewed Pearson. ‘He made a complete denial,’ said the prosecutor.

Pearson, who was supported by his sister throughout the trial, told the jury he had never been in trouble and was a man of good character.

He claimed his parents would have easily heard any screams coming from his bedroom. ‘They preferred that the doors were always open and they usually were.’

There was also a home intercom system, he told the trial, easily allowing his mother to hear what was going on in his bedroom.

Pearson denied wrestling with the boy and inflicting pain, insisting his parents had a strict rule that visiting children were banned from going upstairs.

‘He has never seen me naked and it didn’t happen with me,’ he told the jury.

The judge questioned why there were no references from teacher colleagues on behalf of Pearson, considering his professional academic background.  

Pearson graduated from Birmingham Conservatoire with a degree in music in 2002. 

Before holding his post at Cobham Free School, he taught music at Longfield Academy, Kent and was Curriculum Leader for Performing Arts at Bacon’s College, Rotherhithe. 

Lucy Organ, defending, said: ‘Surrey Police investigated an allegation of grooming of schoolgirls via email. They were misguided and overly friendly and not sexual.

Married father-of-two Pearson, of Beaconsfield Road, Chatham, Kent was unanimously convicted of three counts of rape and one count of indecency with a child. The jury at Croydon Crown Court unanimously found him not guilty of another count of indecency with a child

‘Mr Pearson as arrested and questioned and there was no further action.

‘There were emails to females, aged fifteen to sixteen years old that were not sexual in nature.

‘They were inappropriate in their quantity and times, sent late at night and showing some favourability, like helping one pupil to become Head Girl.

‘He accepts he went too far in assisting two students. He is not a teacher any longer, he lost his job in 2017.

‘It is twenty-five years since the offending,’ added Ms Organ.

‘He has not committed any more offences and that says he is at low risk of re-offending with anything very unlikely to happen ever again.

‘He has established himself as a family man and has been able to lead a useful life, despite his offending as a youth.

‘He was a child when the offences were committed, which is very hard to imagine when you have a man of forty-two years-old in front of you.

‘He is still a musician and his wife is here to support him in court today and they have a five year-old daughter and seven year-old son.’

Pearson was informed of the allegation in 2017. 

‘It did hang over his family for years and he and his wife’s mental health has spiralled, with panic attacks, depression and suicidal thoughts,’ Ms Organ added. 

‘He was a devoted father and husband, a useful member of society until he was remanded in custody.

‘His children will effectively be grown-ups when he is released. He will miss their childhood.’

Pearson and his wife touched hands through a gap in the dock’s security glass as he was led down to the cells.

‘He is of vital emotional support to Mrs Pearson, who’s been struggling since the allegation was made. 

‘She is worried the family will never get back together or survive.’

Pearson was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life; was barred from working with children and other vulnerable groups and told he must serve two-thirds of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.

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