A school art teacher who sexually abused the young boys in his care for more than decade has finally faced justice – but it will never be enough for the children whose innocence he stole.

Terrence John Waters, 82, from Driffield in East Yorkshire, was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment on March 26 at Guildford Crown Court after pleading guilty to and being convicted of 36 non-recent offences, including indecent assault, indecency with a child and other sexual offences.

Waters was able to use his position as a teacher at the former Allen House Prep School in Hook Heath, Woking to target young boys, with the abuse taking place in the art building.

The building was located away from the main school building and contained a darkroom for developing photographs, and a specially constructed loft area. He also organised camping trips in the school holidays where further abuse took place.

Waters would take naked photographs of his victims in exchange for favours or payment, or on a false pretence that they were modelling for sculptures or for book covers.

The case involved 14 complainants aged between seven and 13 years at the time, who all provided evidence of being abused by Waters in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s.

One of his victims, who was abused at the age of nine years old by Waters, said in his victim statement: “These events stole an important part of my childhood innocence. His actions have had a profound effect on my life that has lasted right up to this day.

“I have had to repeatedly relive those experiences over the last five years since giving my statement to police and giving evidence at this trial. The emotional toll is something that no amount of money can repair.”

The majority of the abuse, which involved 12 of his former pupils, took place between 1978 and 1984. Waters also sexually abused two boys at several other locations, including his address in Old Woking, between 1984 and 1988.

Waters had already pleaded guilty to a number of the offences, including 20 counts of indecent assault and seven counts of indecency with a child, prior to the trial at an earlier hearing.

During the trial he pleaded guilty to a further five offences, including gross indecency with a child and four counts of indecent assault.

The jury subsequently found him guilty of a further four offences, including indecent assault, gross indecency with a child and two counts of sexual contact with a child.

One of the victims described the effect on his life after being abused as a young boy: “I found following the abuse that I avoided making friends with boys and men. I have struggled since that age with my weight as eating became a comfort and would make me forget about things, I suffered with depression and still have this impacting on my life today which requires me to take medication.

“As a result of what happened to me, I found I repressed my sexuality and missed out on many years of being who I am.”

Remarking on the abuse he suffered some 40 years ago, another victim said: “First of all, I would like to thank sincerely Surrey Police in the last five years of this investigation. I would like you to hear the voice of the eleven-year-old child that I was then.

“Allen House school was a small, seemingly safe prep school, set in beautiful grounds outside Woking. Terry Waters was a popular teacher who used his position of trust to groom and sexually little boys in his care.

“When the investigation began in 2019, wounds that had closed over 35 years started to reopen. The old sense of guilt, the old sense of secrecy, the old sense of dark favouritism had returned. Some may say that we were complicit, however we were eleven-year-old children, and a child cannot legally consent to sexual activity.”

Speaking about the abuse he suffered, another victim said: “I cannot explain why it is that I don’t feel angry when I think about what he did to me. I feel empty. When you are abused as a child, abuse seems normal. In later life, you expect abuse, or even subconsciously seek it out.

“Abuse twists your relationship with the world. It takes a beautiful and innocent time, and it scars it. It changes the way you look at physical relationships. I tried to lock those feelings away. Of course, they come to the surface in other ways.”

Detective Inspector Ross Linaker, who led the investigation, said: “Waters was a sexual predator who used his position as a trusted member of staff at a well-respected school to abuse and violate innocent young boys.

“The outcome in the court today is the result of a lengthy and complex investigation and shows that no matter how long ago the abuse took place, we will always carry out a thorough investigation to seek justice and ensure perpetrators are punished for their actions.

“If you believe you have been the victim of sexual abuse, whether recent or non-recent, please report it to us. You will be listened to, and you will be supported.”