Ex-teacher guilty of historic assaults
71-year-old’s offences began in 1974
A FORMER teacher at an Uxbridge junior school has been convicted of the historic indecent assault of three former pupils – aged between 7 and 11.
Terence Peter Back, 71, of Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex, was found guilty of indecent assault on a female who was aged seven at the time and indecent assault on a male aged 11 at the time.
He was also found guilty of indecent assault on another girl who was aged 11 at the time.
However, the courts found him not guilty of a count of gross indecency against a female aged seven at the same time on Thursday June 2 at Isleworth Crown Court.
Back was a former teacher at Whitehall Junior School, in Uxbridge, and Kingsway Junior School, in Watford.
An investigation began in 2013 when a former female pupil of Whitehall Junior School made an allegation to police concerning Back, her former teacher.
The offences she alleged amounted to gross indecency and indecent assault and dated back to 1974.
Back was interviewed under caution by police on May 2 2013 and denied the offences.
A further witness, another female pupil, was traced and provided a witness account.
Enquiries led police to attend Kingsway Junior School, in Garston, Watford, where a further two victims were identified and traced, both who provided information to police.
Offences at this school dated back to the early 1980s.
The information given to police by the witnesses and pupils gave similar accounts of Back’s activities.
Back was arrested and interviewed in relation to these allegations on April 28 2014 and June 27 2014.
He was charged on September 8 2015.
DC Emma MacDonald, of the Met’s child abuse investigation team, said: “This was a lengthy enquiry and the Crown Prosecution Service authorised numerous charges against Back in 2015. There were similarities in the accounts of the witnesses – pupils of Back’s who did not know each other and who attended different schools, miles apart.
“Although this was a protracted investigation, I wish to thank the witnesses for their full support.
“They have shown such bravery reliving painful memories to the team and at court.
“Giving evidence can be very daunting, but witnesses are supported throughout the process.
“Even though these types of cases can take some time, police will persevere and try to bring the offender to court so justice is done.
“I hope that Back’s conviction will help ease the painful memories of his victims.”
Back will be sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on Thursday June 30.