Kickboxing instructor who preyed on girls jailed for 9 years

A KICKBOXING coach who groomed and abused teenage girls was jailed for nine years yesterday.

Gary Lee Goodrum carried out a ‘systematic campaign’ of attacks on underage students of his kickboxing academy over a 17-year period.

The 38-year-old denied groping them and forcing them to carry out indecent acts but was found guilty of eight charges by a jury last month.

Goodrum appeared at the High Court in Aberdeen yesterday for sentencing.

The court heard that he came to police attention last year when a 14-year-old girl accused him of backing her up against a wall and grabbing her breasts.

Detectives then spoke to other former students and discovered similar allegations which stretched back to 1999.

Goodrum, pictured, whose address in court papers was given as Perth, originally denied ten charges, including rape.

The Crown later withdrew the rape charge but he was found guilty of seven counts of using lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and one of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old.

He was acquitted of indecently assaulting a 15-year-old after the charge was found not proven.

His offences were carried out at various locations in Fife including Goodrum’s former home address in Dalgety Bay and addresses connected with his martial arts club in Dalgety Bay and at a Fife secondary school.

Judge Lord Woolman said that he had ‘no option’ but to impose a lengthy period of imprisonment.

‘Between 1999 and 2016 you carried out a systematic campaign of abuse against underage girls,’ he said.

‘I call it a campaign because each of the girls had presented themselves to you as being vulnerable. You gained their trust and then abused them.’