Ex teacher jailed for grooming 'vulnerable' boy

A former teacher who groomed and sexually abused a "vulnerable" young boy by plying him with drugs and alcohol has been jailed.

David Cole, who had been a teacher in Keighley, West Yorkshire, met the youngster on the street and invited him back to his "underground club" where he was abused by the "nice man".

The 66-year-old was described as a "committed groomer" by a judge as he had previously spent time in prison for similar offences before being released in 2023.

Cole, of Windsor Road, Bournemouth, pleaded guilty to indecent assault and gross indecency with a child and was sentenced to three years and eight months at Bradford Crown Court earlier.

Cole committed the offences in 1995 and Judge Jonathan Rose, Recorder of Bradford, said the impact on the victim had been "long-lasting and potentially lifelong".

He also said: "You ruined his childhood and then you ruined his adulthood."

Prosecutor Richard Holland said Cole invited the boy to his home where he showed off his "underground club" in a cellar which had been fitted out with speakers and record desks.

He gave the boy a can of lager and sexually assaulted him.

Mr Holland said the boy continued to go to Cole's home because he was "hungry" and later became addicted to the drugs, cannabis and amphetamine, that the defendant provided.

The victim reported the abuse to police in 2021 but Cole was not interviewed until September 2023.

Cole admitted the abuse had taken place, but disputed the age of the boy, claiming his preference was for older teenagers.

Cole had previously been given a 12-year jail sentence for similar offences against other young boys.

He was also jailed in 2001 and 2013 for sexual offences.

Judge Rose said Cole could have "wiped the slate clean" during one of his previous court appearances for sexual offending, but he had not done so.

He added: "These grave offences were committed on a single occasion, but grave they were, and they were achieved by you enticing this child into your home where he believed he would be safe and you knowing as you did that he was vulnerable because of his own circumstances.

"This is not an isolated incident by a man of good character but one amongst many that you were committing around this time."

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