David Pickthall Sentenced for Child Sex Offences

David Pickthall, a 66-year-old former choirmaster and teacher, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for committing multiple child sex offences against 19 victims over a span of 40 years, from 1980 to 2021. He admitted to 29 charges, including 16 counts of indecent assault and 10 counts of voyeurism, with many of the victims being underage boys. Pickthall's offences occurred primarily at Brentwood School, where he had previously been a student and later a teacher, and included grooming and filming victims without their consent. Despite his accolades, including an MBE for services to education, the court described him as a 'predatory and manipulative paedophile'. Authorities suspect there may be additional unidentified victims, urging anyone with information to come forward. The judge emphasized that Pickthall's actions would have continued if not for a victim's bravery in reporting his abuse.