A former teacher who appeared on Channel 4's documentary series Educating Cardiff has avoided an immediate prison sentence after admitting to sexually assaulting a teenage girl.
Gareth Ritter, of Bryngwyn, Monmouthshire, was sentenced at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on Wednesday (4 November) to 33 months' imprisonment, suspended for 30 months, by Judge Dyfed Llion Thomas.
Plea change and charges
The 44-year-old initially denied the sexual assault charge but changed his plea to guilty in October mid-trial after giving evidence. He had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of making an indecent photograph of a child and one count of distributing an indecent photograph of a child.
The court heard that Ritter offered the victim a lift home following an event in Cardiff, telling her he needed to make a brief stop at a flat in Cardiff Bay.
Details of the assault
While at the flat, Ritter made comments regarding the victim's appearance and clothing that left her feeling "awkward and uncomfortable", before placing his hand uninvited on her lower back and moving it down to her backside. When the victim moved into the living room, Ritter asked if she wanted to see the bedroom, backed her against a wall, and kissed her.
"She didn't want any of this sexual contact that you inflicted on her that night," Judge Thomas told the court. "She made it quite clear that she didn't want any form of sexual contact."
The victim pushed Ritter away, explaining that she went to a Christian school and did not engage in that kind of behaviour. Rather than apologizing, Ritter was described as "giggling" at the situation, later instructing the victim during the drive home not to tell anyone about what had transpired.
Reporting and sentencing
The victim ultimately reported the assault after police contacted her regarding indecent images of her discovered in Ritter's possession.
The court heard that Ritter was well-known within his local community and previously held a position of respect as a brass band conductor alongside his teaching career.
Addressing the impact on the victim during sentencing, Judge Thomas noted her fear of coming forward: "(The victim) told the court during the trial in evidence what many, many people who are victims of sexual assault say – who is going to believe me? Well, she is believed, Mr Ritter, and everyone knows that what she told the court was true."
