Victim came forward nearly forty years after being abused by Michael Porteous

A former teacher at the King's House Prep School in Richmond has been jailed after being convicted of abusing a pupil forty years ago. Two years ago the victim, partly prompted by the birth of his own son came forward and reported the abuse to the police.

Michael Porteous, aged 78, received a two and a half year sentence at Kingston Crown Court this week. He had previously been found guilty of two counts of indecent assault of a boy under 14 years old.

The victim, a man now aged 51, alleged he was abused as 12-year-old by Porteous who was one of his teachers at King's House in 1974.

Michael Porteous

He alleged the art and music teacher sexually assaulted him - unbeknown to other teachers and pupils - while they sat next to each other on a coach that traveled to a sports ground.

The abuse happened on numerous occasions and lasted from six and eight weeks.

After the allegation was made in 2012, it was investigated by officers from the Met's Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command.

It was discovered that Porteous was living in Thailand but when he returned to the UK to Sussex in September 2013 for a short visit to see family members he was arrested and charged.

The victim had not spoken out at the time of the assaults because his parents worked hard to pay for his education and he didn't want them to feel that he had let them down. Although he had told previous partners and his wife of his ordeal, he had never discussed the intimate details of the abuse until he spoke with the police.

Detective Constable Nikki Honey, the investigating officer for the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said: "Porteous preyed on a vulnerable young boy, who didn't really understand what was happening to him at the time.

"He used his position to abuse a child, and thought he had got away with it. His victim only came forward as he became a father himself to a much longed for child a few months before he made the allegation.

"He stated that when he looked into his son's eyes and saw such innocence, coupled with the media attention of the Jimmy Savile inquiry, it gave him the strength to make the allegation."

Porteous was also be placed on the sex offenders register for life.

October 7, 2014