[ad_1]
A former headteacher has been found guilty of sexually assaulting four girls, with a judge expressing concern that warnings about him had been ignored.
Neil Foden, 66, who worked in schools in North Wales, has been convicted of 19 offenses and has been told he faces a lengthy prison term when he is sentenced in July.
A jury at Mold crown court heard that Foden, who was previously an executive member of the National Education Union, abused four complainants over a four-year period.
Judge Rhys Rowlands said Foden was an “influential figure” who thought he could do as he pleased. He told him: “Some of the explanations for your behavior towards the victims that you gave during the trial were frankly unbelievable at times”, adding that they were a sign of his “arrogant controlling personality”.
Concerns about Foden were raised with Cyngor Gwynedd – Gwynedd council – by a senior member of staff in 2019, but he was not stopped from offending until 2023. The judge said: “When genuine concerns about the defendant were first raised with the county council, they were simply rejected, almost out of control.
He said no investigation was conducted and no notes were taken. “We now know he continued to offend,” the judge said. “This is very worrying indeed.”
A council spokesman said it was “appalled by the nature of the offences”. “Now that the criminal process has concluded, the task of reviewing working practices and identifying lessons that can be learned will begin,” they said. “Due to the serious nature of the case, arrangements are being made to carry out an independent review in line with national guidelines for the review of children’s practices.”
Foden was arrested after one of the girls, Child A, showed an adult a picture of them together and screenshots of oral sex messages. She told police: “He was saying he loved me. After a while it got a little more sexual.
Another complainant, Child E, told police she called Foden Mr P, for perfect, while he called her “his little sex toy”.
Foden was accused of pinching the thigh of another girl, Child B, and putting his hand under her clothes. Another, Child C, allegedly placed his hand on her upper inner thighs.
Asked at trial about a message he sent to Child A in which he said he felt “a little turned on”, he said the message was intended to be “complimentary” and to make the girl “feel attractive “.
Foden, of Old Colwyn, North Wales, was convicted of 12 counts of sexual activity with a child, two counts of sexual activity with a child in a position of trust and one count of causing or inciting sexual activity of a child, attempting to arrange the commission of a sexual offense against a child, sexual intercourse with a child, possession of indecent photographs of a child and sexual abuse of a child.
He was remanded in custody pending sentencing on July 1.
[ad_2]
