Retired teacher sexually assaulted girl during tutoring

Sylvanathan Naidoo, 65, deliberately abused his position of trust in a calculated way to groom his victim.

A Bournemouth Crown Court judge told Naidoo that his offending would likely affect the girl for the rest of her life.

The defendant, of Woodborough, Nottingham, was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment on Monday, May 23, after he pleaded guilty to eight counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching and one count of assaulting a girl under 13 by penetration – all committed last summer.

Sentencing judge Recorder Don Tait said: “You were in a position of trust and you deliberately, in a calculated way, abused that position of trust."

Sylvanathan Naidoo

“You have lost everything, your family and home but that is your fault entirely," he added.

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The court heard no concerns or safeguarding issues had ever been raised about Naidoo during his teaching career, which spanned more than 20 years until he decided to retire in 2012 as he felt he was too old to be a primary school teacher. 

The judge imposed a one-year extended licence period as he deemed the defendant to be an “offender of particular concern”.

Prosecuting, Tom Wright said Naidoo had delivered two tutoring sessions to the victim at her home without any issues before committing the sexual assaults across three separate sessions.

Mr Wright said the activity came to an end when the victim’s mother came into the room unannounced where the offender was alone with the girl and she saw him in a compromising position.

The court heard he claimed he was administering a massage.

Naidoo left the property a short time later and the victim made disclosures to her parents that day.

Following his arrest, the defendant gave no comment in interview.

The sentencing hearing took place at Bournemouth Crown Court

Mr Wright said during at least one of the incidents Naidoo made comments asking the girl if she liked what he was doing to her.

“It is impossible to know whether this is a case that is going to lead to severe psychological harm,” Mr Wright said.

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Mitigating, Guy Ladenburg said the defendant, who had no previous convictions, had “sincere” remorse and his apology for what he did was “genuine”.

Mr Ladenburg said it was accepted there had been an abuse of trust, while those who had provided character statements about the defendant described their “astonishment” at the “entirely out of character” offending.

Recorder Tait made Naidoo subject to a sexual harm prevention order, while the defendant was placed on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.

The judge said in his opinion the only mitigation in the case was the defendant’s guilty pleas.

“It is impossible to know what affect your behaviour and your offending have had on this young girl,” said Recorder Tait.

Naidoo, who wore a dark suit for the hearing was motionless in the dock as Recorder Tait handed down the sentence.

The judge added: “I have no doubt that this will affect her for the rest of her life - how it will affect her nobody knows.

“Offences like these against a young girl stay with them for life one way or another.”

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