Head teacher Anne Lakey jailed for sex with boys Published duration 24 June 2015

image copyright PA image caption Teesside Crown Court heard Anne Lakey was a "sexual predator"

A nationally-acclaimed head teacher who had sex with two under-age boys has been jailed for eight years.

Anne Lakey, 55, from Stanley, County Durham, was found guilty on Tuesday of 13 counts of indecent assault on the teenagers in the 1980s.

Teesside Crown Court heard she took one boy's virginity at her home and the other's in a tent on a camping trip.

Lakey, described as a "sexual predator" by prosecutors, had denied committing the offences over a three-year period.

One victim was 15, while the other was aged 13 or 14 at the time he was first assaulted.

'Sexually exploited'

During sentencing on Wednesday, the court heard Lakey's offending was a "gross breach of trust".

Prosecutor Caroline Goodwin read statements to the court written by both men about their experiences.

The younger victim said: "I think Anne is a dirty pervert.

"I was under-age, it was not like I was 13 and she was 15 or something, we weren't even the same generation. She was old enough to be my mother."

The other said he had since realised he had been a "victim of sexual exploitation".

"I feel a sense of shame that I allowed myself to be in that position," he said.

Sentencing, Judge Howard Crowson told Lakey: "You used subtle persuasion and flattery, encouraging each boy to take his first tentative sexual steps with you.

image copyright Google image caption Lakey led the Durham Federation, which includes Durham Community Business College. The charges did not relate to pupils at the school

"You corrupted two boys about half your age. They were naive and immature."

Lakey was suspended from her role as chief executive of the Durham Federation, in charge of two secondary schools, after the younger victim sent an accusing email in December 2012.

She had been a national leader in education, lauded for improving pupils' exam performance.

Judge Crowson told Lakey her sentence would "destroy the career you have worked so hard to build".

"You will find prison a particular hardship, given the illness you have battled against," he added.

Tim Roberts QC, defending, said Lakey had received treatment for breast cancer in 2012 and would require ongoing care.

During her trial, the court heard she groomed the younger victim and took his virginity on the marital bed while he was still in his school uniform.

She also phoned the boy's school and posed as his mother to enable him to play truant.

The older victim and Lakey first had sex in her tent after she encouraged him to sneak over in the middle of the night, jurors were told.

Lakey, a history and RE teacher in Sunderland at the time, went on to have repeated sexual relations with both boys.

image caption Det Insp Aelf Sampson said the victims had been brave to come forward

Speaking outside court, Det Insp Aelf Sampson, of Durham Police, said there may be more victims.

"Throughout the investigation we have been aware that there may be other people involved in this inquiry who may come forward as victims and we would like them to make the approach to us," she said.

Speaking about the two victims, she added: "They've seen her have a successful glittering career, they've seen her be praised by government...described as inspirational, and I think that did make it harder for them to come forward."

Ironically, her success "spurred on" the first victim to make his allegation, the detective said, "seeing her being so successful and thinking 'this isn't right'".