A former soldier who retrained as a teacher has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison for a campaign of sexual abuse against a pupil, which the victim says forever 'stole' their childhood.
From War Hero to Predator
Simon Taylor, 43, previously served in the Afghanistan War and lost part of his right leg after his vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in 2009. After leaving the armed forces, he began working at Hethersett Academy in Norfolk.
It was there that he began to 'target' and groom a student, Norwich Crown Court heard. The court was told that Taylor manipulated the pupil, sent them indecent images, and detailed sexual acts he wished to perform.
A Stolen Childhood
The abuse, which spanned more than two years, continued even after the student had left the school. Taylor used the school's messaging platform to contact the victim, leading to a written warning, but he persisted undeterred.
He made the pupil believe he was the only one who cared and even threatened to harm himself if they did not comply with his demands for images.
In a heartbreaking victim impact statement read in court, the pupil said: "My childhood was stolen from me. I never had the chance to be a normal teenager." The judge acknowledged the "severe psychological harm" caused.
Sentencing and Consequences
Taylor, now of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, pleaded guilty to five offences: touching the student's thigh at school, touching their chest twice, and two counts of sexual communication with a child while in a position of trust.
On 13 January 2026, Judge Anthony Bate sentenced him to four years and six months in prison. While acknowledging Taylor's military service and injury, the judge stated he could see "no identifiable link" between his PTSD and the decision to offend.
In addition to the jail term, Taylor was:
- Ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register indefinitely.
- Made subject to a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
- Given a restraining order banning contact with the victim or their parents.
- Barred from working with children.
The victim eventually disclosed the abuse to Taylor's wife and reported it to the police. Taylor showed no reaction as he was led to the cells following his sentencing.
