Deborah Franklin, 65, of Radlett, Hertfordshire, has been found guilty of eight counts of gross indecency against a boy aged between nine and 12 during the 1990s. The teacher, who worked at a preparatory school, gained the trust of the victim's parents to access his bedroom for private tutoring sessions, prosecutors said.
Abuse during tutoring sessions
At St Albans Crown Court, Franklin sat emotionless and claimed not to remember tutoring the then 9-year-old boy at all. Jurors heard she took her clothes off in front of the boy, kissed him, had him touch her, and performed multiple sexual acts. The victim's sister caught Franklin under her brother's covers during one lesson.
Prosecutor Gavin Pottinger said Franklin was 'trusted' by the family but was a woman 'whose boundaries were just not there'. The complainant said one encounter took place in the garage when Franklin removed 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.
Relationships and denials
The victim said Franklin called out her husband's name during one act and described herself as his 'girlfriend', advising him to be discreet. He said he had 'no memory of work ever being done' during sessions. The sister described Franklin as 'fun, charismatic, and cool'. The boy viewed her as 'young' and 'high energy', who 'presented like a mate' and discussed drugs, cigarettes, and sex.
Franklin, who denied all charges, told jurors it was 'quite common for teachers and parents and children to socially interact'. Under questioning, she repeatedly replied 'No' when asked if she remembered the boy or if there was any truth in the allegations. Defence barrister Aisling Byrnes asked if there was 'any truth' in the sexual touching allegations; Franklin replied 'No'. Judge Kamran Choudhry noted the defence claimed the relationship was 'entirely proper' and not 'unusually close and inappropriate'.
Legal proceedings
The complainant first reported the incidents to police in March 2024, and Franklin was charged the same month. She was suspended from her school upon disclosure of the allegations. Judge Choudhry remanded her into custody, warning of a 'high possibility' of imprisonment at sentencing on October 1.
