Former secondary school teacher found guilty of sexually assaulting two pupils under his care.

Former Teacher Jailed for Sexually Assaulting Pupils

A former secondary school teacher, Russell Tillson, has been sentenced to five years and eight months in prison after being found guilty of sexually assaulting two pupils under his care.

Tillson, who denied a string of allegations dating back to the 1980s, was convicted following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court. The allegations, related to Tillson's employment at Tonbridge School, were first reported to Kent Police in 2018.

A subsequent investigation revealed that Tillson had committed offenses over a period spanning almost 20 years, both in the classroom and in a private residence he maintained at the school.

Tillson, who held a senior position at the school, exploited his influence to make advances on his victims. One incident involved offering a boy an enhanced university reference, which Tillson suggested could be achieved through "unconventional methods."

Arrested in October 2020, Tillson denied all allegations during police interviews, dismissing them as "fiction." He was initially charged with five counts of indecent assault but pleaded not guilty. An additional count was added during the trial. The jury found Tillson guilty on four of the charges, while acquitting him on the other two.

In addition to his prison sentence, Tillson, aged 73, of Ship Close, Dymchurch, was issued a 15-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

DC Josh Gearing, of the West Kent Vulnerability Investigation Team, stated, "Sex offenders like Tillson wreak incalculable damage on their victims, many who will suffer in silence for years, or throughout their whole lives. Thankfully in this case, the victims have shown tremendous courage to come forward."

Gearing continued, "Today's sentence will not take away the trauma they were made to endure as children, but it will hopefully bring some closure. I hope that this case is a reminder that all non-recent allegations of abuse will always be investigated fully by Kent Police, and we will do everything within our powers to ensure offenders are brought before the courts and punished."