David Clarke – Sleaford

FORMER SEAFORD TEACHER JAILED FOR 26 YEARS FOR ABUSING 14 BOYS

David Clarke was sentenced to 26 years in prison on 1 June 2026 for sexual offences against 14 boys connected with a Seaford school. The former teacher’s crimes came before Brighton Crown Court decades after the abuse.

The investigation followed reports from former pupils associated with Newlands School, including its preparatory and sixth-form sections and the senior school known as The Manor. Their accounts concerned abuse during the 1970s and 1980s.

Clarke taught religious education and worked at Newlands Preparatory School between 1978 and 1989. He also ran a photography club. Much of the offending took place after boys were taken into the darkroom used to develop photographs.

Investigators identified 14 male victims. Their reports led to criminal charges and a month-long trial at Brighton Crown Court.

On 13 April 2026, Clarke was convicted of sexual offences. The jury did not convict him of every allegation: he was acquitted of one count of attempted buggery.

He returned to the same court for sentencing on 1 June, when the 26-year prison term was imposed. He was 82 at that hearing.

The investigating team thanked the men who had reported what happened and supported the prosecution. They also said they believed there could be other victims and encouraged anyone affected to seek support and report their experiences.

The case established criminal responsibility for abuse that former pupils had carried with them for decades, while leaving the identities of those victims protected.