Perverted music teacher took advantage of girl
An internationally-renowned musician has been jailed for sexual offences against a female pupil at a prestigious private school.
Dara De Cogan, 58, groomed and sexually exploited the girl for two years while working as a music teacher at Ampleforth College, near Helmsley, which has been rocked by sexual allegations against former teachers.
De Cogan, one of Ireland’s leading classical musicians and a former star violinist with the Halle Orchestra, lost his job at the Roman Catholic co-ed school when the victim came forward eight years after the abuse took place.
York Crown Court heard that the victim, now a young woman, had endured years of agony keeping her dark secret until she finally came forward to police in April last year.
De Cogan, of Kilburn Village Street, Kilburn, appeared in the dock on Tuesday after admitting 10 counts of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust.
Jailing De Cogan for 28 months, Judge Andrew Stubbs QC said had groomed and manipulated a vulnerable girl.
“You are plainly a very talented musician (but) you lost all sense of self-control and responsibility,” added Mr Stubbs.
De Cogan was also placed on the sex-offenders’ register for 10 years and given a restraining order.