Suffolk teacher jailed for string of child sex offences

A teacher has been jailed for sexual assaults on one of his ex-pupils and possession of thousands of child abuse images.

Mark Langford, 55, was investigated after the National Crime Agency (NCA) received a report of a suspect having child abuse material.

The agency then found he had groomed and sexually assaulted the "vulnerable" teenager almost 20 years ago.

Langford was jailed for nine years and two months at Ipswich Crown Court.

The teacher, formerly of Beccles, Suffolk, targeted the girl after a chance meeting and sent increasingly sexualised messages to his victim, who was still a young teenager.

Their contact also included sexual contact between them, directed by the defendant.

The court heard he wrote a letter to his victim last year in which he told her what to say to investigators, the NCA said.

Langford wrote: "Before you talk to him, please remember that it is his job to convict me - please do not give him any accidental ammunition against me."

The victim, who has autism which was diagnosed after the offending, was "vulnerable" and Langford's offending was an "abuse of power", prosecutor Marc Brown said.

Langford sat, head bowed and ears covered as the victim delivered a victim impact statement.

"I am thoroughly appalled and disgusted and haunted by the abuse I suffered," she said.

She described Langford as "dangerous and manipulative", detailing how he created fake accounts using different names to contact her online.

"He insidiously worked his way into my life," she said.

Mr Brown said Langford had an "avid sexual interest in children" and "repeatedly exploited" the victim's vulnerability.

Before his arrest, Langford, now of Ingleton, North Yorkshire, told NCA officers: "It's all in there, I know what you're looking for, I've made a mistake and ruined everything".

Officers found 2,178 indecent images of children on five electronic devices, a further 199 prohibited images - and 109 extreme images.

He sent some images and messages, including comments about pupils, just months prior to his arrest on 9 December 2021.

Langford exchanged images on various sites and traded images using specific software.

He was also found to have spoken online with others about sexual abuse, including conversations about child rape, encouraging abuse of children and tips on where to find child sexual abuse online.

He previously admitted 17 counts including indecent assault of a child under 16, indecency with a child, perverting the cause of justice, making, possession and distribution of indecent images of children and possession of extreme pornographic images.

Mitigating, Juliet Donovan, said her client was a "deeply lonely individual" who went down "dark paths" on the internet.

She said the defendant "deluded" himself, thinking he was in a relationship.

Sentencing, Judge Martyn Levett said Langford created an "unhealthy power dynamic" and prioritised his own sexual gratification over what he knew was right.

He said Langford was a "continuing threat to others" due to him downloading and sharing indecent images of children, including babies.

NCA operations manager Holly Triggs said: "Mark Langford was a cowardly and scheming offender.

"Not only did he abuse his position of trust, he asked his victim to stay quiet about his offending and the horrific conversations he had with other paedophiles online."

Langford was given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, was barred from working with children and was made subject to notification orders.

He was also given a further licence extension of his sentence of four years and eight months.

Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a story? Email [email protected] or WhatsApp on 0800 169 1830