Perverted music teacher jailed for sexually abusing girl
A perverted music teacher was jailed for for eight-and-a-half years today (thurs) for sexually abusing a girl.
Neil Hammerton, 49, attacked the seven year-old on two separate occasions between 2007 and 2010 while he was living in Redhill, Surrey.
The girl first made her allegation in 2015, after Hammerton had been released from prison for sexually abusing another girl aged under 15 in 2009.
Hammerton, who has a long-standing alcohol problem, insisted he did not molest the seven year-old girl but was convicted of assault of a child under 13 by penetration and inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.
He was found not guilty of a further charge of sexual assault of a child under 13.
Hammerton showed no emotion as the verdicts were announced by an Old Bailey jury of six men and six women.
Jailing him for eight-and-a-half years, Judge Gerald Gordon said: ‘I accept that drink played a part but it can’t provide anything remotely approaching an excuse.
‘Inevitably the psychological effect on her was long-lasting which is what prompted her, nearly five years later, to disclose these matters.’
‘I bear in mind you were acquitted of an act earlier in time of which she had only the vaguest recollection.’
‘You have committed similar types of sexual activity with two under age children for whom you were in different ways responsible.’
Hammerton was at one time employed by Surrey County Council to teach music to schoolchildren and set up the Redhill and Reigate School of Music and the Redhill and Reigate Community Big Band.
He provided lessons to students in the basement of his three-bedroom home in Grovehill Road, Redhill.
The seven year-old victim did not tell anyone about the abuse at the time.
In October 2009 Hammerton began abusing the older girl after sending her sexual messages on Facebook.
He was jailed for three years in 2011 after admitting three counts of sexual activity with a child and two of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
Hammerton was arrested again in July 2015 after the younger girl came forward to claim he had groped her on two separate occasions.
Prosecution Julianne Whitby said: ‘He denied the allegations and said he didn’t understand why she had made the allegations against him.’
Hammerton, of [115] Stansted Road, Southsea, Hampshire, denied but was convicted of assaulting a child under 13 by penetration and inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity. He was cleared of sexually assaulting a child under 13.
A Sexual Offences Prevention Order was imposed, prohibiting him from any contact with a female under the age of 16.
He was jailed for eight-and-a-half years.
ends
