A former teacher has been jailed after pleading guilty to sexually abusing two students in his care.

Paul Clifton, 55, (15/06/1970) of Sidcup, was convicted of the following offences:

• Sexual communications with a child
• Sexual activity with a child involving touching
• Four counts of sexual activity with a child involving penetration
• Causing and inciting sexual activity with a child
• Two counts of abuse of position of trust – causing or inciting sexual activity with a child

He was charged after a woman came forward via an online report in 2019.

Katherine (not her real name) had been a 15-year-old student at a school in Surrey in 2017 when Clifton began a relationship with her. Struggling with stress at home and issues with friends at school, Katherine used creative writing to express herself and asked Clifton, her English teacher, for help. He used this as a way of gaining her trust, making her feel special and encouraging a relationship between them.

Clifton assigned them pet names to ensure no one found out about their ‘secret’, and Katherine kept detailed accounts of their interactions in her journal, including the date of their first kiss and the first time they had sex. These encounters continued both on and off school premises over the course of a year.

As the investigation progressed, another victim was identified. In 2006 Alison (not her real name), then 15, was groomed by Clifton, who was her English teacher at a school in Kent. Initially, Alison said, Clifton would belittle her in class, making her feel stupid, talking about her love life, and making her bring her homework to his house when she missed a deadline.

Having exchanged phone numbers, Clifton’s tone changed. He texted Alison telling her he missed her and asking for photos of her that grew progressively more explicit. He convinced her they were in love, and shortly after she turned 16, he persuaded Alison to go round to his address and had sex with her.

During interviews Clifton denied any sexual contact with either Alison or Katherine. He even claimed to have a father-daughter relationship with Katherine, up until the interviewing officer read the content of one of the text messages aloud to him expressing how much he missed her and ‘the way you kiss me and touch me, the way you look at me’. Clifton then requested additional legal counsel before proceeding to give a ‘no comment’ interview.

Clifton pleaded guilty to all charges at Guildford Crown Court on 7 April. On Friday 20 June at Croydon Crown Court he was sentenced to five years and seven months in prison. He will be subject to a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which prohibits him from almost all contact with any female child under 18, and from undertaking any paid, voluntary or recreational activity that is likely to bring him into supervisory contact with any female child under 18. He will also be subject to notification requirements and has been placed on the Children’s Barred List, prohibiting him from working with children again.

In her victim impact statement, Alison said, “Paul Clifton made me feel stupid and unworthy. He created an image that I would never amount to anything without him.

“Paul Clifton will have no sense of guilt or remorse for what he has done. In my mid-twenties he found me on Instagram and sent me a direct message saying he didn’t blame me for how things ended and knew what we had was real. I received this message on the middle of my working day and it sent me into a full panic attack. I had to run straight out of the office to try and catch my breath and stop crying, not wanting anyone to see.

“What happened to me…is something that can never be undone.”

In her victim impact statement, Katherine said, “Asking how this impacts my life is like asking someone how they breathe.

“The age I was when this happened is such a pivotal age. It is when you start finding yourself, when you start carving out who you are. The defendant robbed that from me.

“He used gifting me books to gain my trust and get closer to me. Now I think I’m subconsciously connecting books to something terrible. I don’t read anymore.

“Despite all these challenges…I have managed to stay strong and determined. I hold down a job I am proud of, I am surrounded by friends and family who love me deeply. I still have hope that one day I will enjoy books again. I am still me.

“Ultimately, I hope I can lay these events to rest and progress into a bright future.”

Investigating officer, DC Nicola Deadman, said, “Clifton is a predator who targeted children.

“As a teacher, he should have had his students’ safety and their best interests at the forefront of his mind. He used the legitimacy of his position to establish trust and then groom the girls he was responsible for safeguarding. They trusted him and he betrayed their trust for his own ends.

“I’d like to pay tribute to the courage of the two victim-survivors, who have shown immense strength of character and bravery in coming forward and reliving these traumatic events to see justice done.”

You can report a sexual assault or rape to police any time, whether months, years, or even decades have passed. We take every report seriously and understand that there are lots of reasons why someone might delay telling anyone what has happened to them.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual offences, we encourage you to come forward. Our online reporting form allows you to make your initial report to police at your own pace, at a time that works for you: https://www.surrey.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/v1/rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences/