David Pickthall: Teacher jailed after 40 years of abuse

An Essex teacher has been jailed for 12 years after admitting to 29 offences of sexual abuse.

David Pickthall, 66 of Cheveley Park, Cheveley abused or filmed 19 men without their consent over a period of more than 40 years. This week, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison at Chelmsford Crown Court, with a further four on extended licence.

Pickthall, 66, of Cheveley Park, Cheveley, had previously admitted 29 offences – 16 counts of indecent assault, 10 counts of voyeurism, and three counts of making an indecent image of a child.

The offences related to 19 people, the majority of whom were boys at the time, between 1980 and 2021. During some of this period Pickthall worked as a choirmaster in the Havering district and as a music teacher in Brentwood.

Some of the survivors told police officers that Pickthall had them stay at his home address and show them pornographic material, while also taking advantage of situations where he was alone with them to assault them.

Officers also discovered that, in the months before his arrest in 2021 Pickthall had been engaging in sexual communication with a 15 year-old boy on the messaging app Telegram.

Videos and images were also found at his home of young men and boys. Officers established that Pickthall had filmed men and boys without their knowledge or consent while they were staying at his home.

He also created social media accounts, pretending to be someone else, to obtain indecent images of children.

He was sentenced to 12 years in prison at Chelmsford Crown Court, with a further four on extended licence.

‘I strongly suspect there are other people who will have been targeted’

The investigation into Pickhall’s catalogue of abuse was carried out by Essex Police Quest team – made up of specially trained officers dedicated to investigation non-recent child sexual abuse.

However, the officers unfortunately believe there may be more of Pickhall’s victims out there who have not yet come forward.

The officer who led the investigation, Detective Constable Chelsie Stamford, said:

“The scale of David Pickthall’s offending – both in terms of the number of people he targeted and the four decades in which it took place – is horrifying. I want to praise the courage of all those involved in the investigation for coming forward and telling us what happened.

“They have been subjected to ordeals which have had long lasting and deeply felt impacts. No-one should have to experience what they have, and I want to thank them for trusting us.

“Pickthall’s actions, and the lengths he went to for his own gratification, give the impression he never thought he would be caught and he could offend with impunity.Thanks to the bravery of the men involved in this investigation, he is now behind bars.

“Sadly, I do not believe Pickthall’s offending is limited to the 19 men involved in this investigation. I strongly suspect there are other people who will have been targeted and abused by him who we’ve not been able to identify.

“My message to you is please come and talk to us. You will be listened to, and we will investigate”.

Survivors’ stories

A number of survivors of David Pickthall’s abuse have told us the impact it has had and have urged anyone else affected to come forward.

One survivor said: “For a great deal of my life, I have blocked out what happened to me. When I was first contacted by the police, I didn’t want to be involved in the investigation. I had purposefully forgotten it and it has taken a lot to recall it.

“But the more I thought about it, the more I felt I had a morale duty to report what happened to me because he’s done this to a lot of people. What I find so shocking is that it happened to so many people and I cannot believe it is just 19.

“Also, as a dad, I felt I needed to do all I can to protect my child. Because I’d buried it so deep, I don’t have a lot of memories from my teenage years.

“In my formative years I struggled to fit in, and music was the thing I was good at. It should have been my safe space. It shouldn’t have been an invite to take advantage of.”

How to report abuse?

If you have any information relating to this investigation, please get in contact with Essex Police quoting the crime reference number 42/238353/21. You can submit a report on the police website or by using the online Live Chat service which is available 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week.

If you would like to make an anonymous report you can contact independent charity @Crimestoppers, by visiting their website or by calling 0800 555 111.

Compensation for abuse

If you have been a victim of abuse, you may be entitled to claim compensation for the suffering you experienced. Whether the abuse has happened recently or years ago (for example, when you was at school) you may be entitled to make a claim.

What is historic abuse?

Historic abuse is also known as “non-recent abuse” or “non-accidental abuse” and relates to any physical, sexual or emotional attack inflicted on a person. These attacks may have taken place in a single incident or be repeated over some time.

Historic abuse commonly occurs when the attacker holds a position of power over the victim.

How to make a claim?

If you have been a victim of abuse and would like to make a claim, get in touch today. AbuseClaims.co.uk has a team of experienced abuse claims specialists to assist you and talk through your options.

We offer a free initial consultation and operate on a no-win no-fee basis – so you will not pay a penny unless your claim is successful.

How long will my case take?

Generally a civil claim for abuse or assaults can be concluded within 6-12 months. We will provide you with regular updates as your claim progresses.

Once we have been able to assess your case, we will give you an idea at the outset of the likely timescale.

It will very much depend on what evidence we need to gather, who we are bringing the claim against and also whether the claim can be settled without court proceedings.

Institutional abuse

In some cases, if the historic abuse has occurred within an organisational setting, for example, an after-school club or within a religious setting, this might be referred to as Institutional child sexual abuse.

Some examples of this include the following (however, this list is not exhaustive).

· School staff attacking pupils

· Young people abused in children’s homes

· Football coaches preying on children in their coaching teams

· Youth group leaders singling out children (often on trips away from home)

· Religious staff attacking children

· Doctors or hospital staff

Should I make a claim?

Before deciding whether to pursue a claim, it’s crucial to seek initial legal advice to evaluate the merits of your case. At AbuseClaims.co.uk, we offer a free assessment and are happy to discuss your situation at no cost.

If a solicitor determines that your claim has merit, it’s also important to consider the potential impact on your health. Litigation can be a stressful process that may negatively affect your well-being.

While we cannot provide medical advice, we must inform you that pursuing a claim may bring up traumatic memories of the abuse, which could impact your mental health. Please keep in mind that the primary outcome of a successful claim is financial compensation.

While you may hope for answers through litigation, most cases settle out of court, which could leave some of your questions unresolved. Your doctors may advise that revisiting the trauma could hinder your recovery.

The decision to proceed should be made in consultation with your medical advisors and is entirely up to you. If you choose to move forward with a claim, our team will do everything possible to support you and minimise the stress throughout the process.

Would I have to go to Court?

If the case does not settle, then ultimately the matter would proceed to Court where a Judge would make a determination. Most cases, however, do settle out of Court, so although this is an unlikely eventuality, we cannot rule it out as an impossibility.

If you do have any concerns about this during the process of your claim, then we would be happy to discuss this with you and address any concerns you may have.

Why should I use AbuseClaims.co.uk?

Abuseclaims.co.uk is committed to handling your abuse claim on a ‘no-win, no-fee’ basis. If your claim is unsuccessful, you won’t owe us anything.

If your claim is successful, we will take a percentage of the compensation, meaning we only receive payment when we have achieved a positive outcome for you.