Hertfordshire teacher jailed for sexually abusing schoolboy she tutored

A former prep school teacher who sexually abused a young boy she was tutoring in the 1990s has been jailed for seven years.

Deborah Franklin, 65, subjected the victim to "repeated sexual activity" while he was aged between nine and 12, having taken him on as a private pupil in Hertfordshire.

Earlier this year, a trial at St Albans Crown Court saw her convicted of eight counts of gross indecency against the child.

Sentencing her to seven years in prison on Thursday, His Honour Judge Choudhry told Franklin that her offending represented a "profound abuse of trust".

Prosecutor Gavin Pottinger told the hearing that Franklin "took the opportunities provided by her role and the trust placed in her to repeatedly abuse (the boy)".

In mitigation, Aisling Byrnes said Franklin had lived an "exemplary life" and continued teaching in subsequent years. She added that her client "maintains her innocence".

The court heard Franklin was married and in her 30s when the offences occurred. During her trial, jurors heard she stripped naked before the boy, kissed him, forced him to touch her, and performed multiple sexual acts.

Franklin, of Radlett, Hertfordshire, had denied all counts, claiming she could not remember tutoring the boy.

The court heard she would visit the boy's home for private lessons and invite him to hers.

The complainant viewed Franklin as "young" and "high energy", recalling that she "presented like a mate" and discussed cigarettes, drugs, and sex.

Mr Pottinger noted she was "trusted" by his family in the boy’s bedroom, but described her as someone "whose boundaries were just not there".

The boy’s sister once discovered Franklin under the covers of her brother’s bed, the court heard. During one incident in the garage at the victim's house, Franklin took off her clothes and asked "do you want to touch me?".

On another occasion at her house, she tied him to her bed, blindfolded him, and tickled him, the complainant said. He added that during another act, Franklin called out her husband’s name.

Jurors heard claims that Franklin described herself as his "girlfriend", advising him to keep their relationship discreet. He stated he had "no memory of work ever being done" during their tutoring sessions.

The victim first went to police in March 2024. Giving evidence, Franklin claimed it was "quite common for teachers and parents and children to socially interact".

Asked by Ms Byrnes if there was "any truth" in allegations she sexually touched the boy, she answered: "No."

She told jurors it was not "unusual" to be in a pupil’s bedroom or on their bed while tutoring.

Ms Byrnes previously noted Franklin no longer worked at the school and had been involved with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) charity before her conviction.