Ayrshire teacher jailed for historic child sex abuse

A former Ayrshire teacher, branded a danger to children, has been jailed for 10 years.

61 year-old Peter Toner was convicted of grooming and sexually abusing five pupils at a boarding school run by a religious order in Largs in the early 1980's.

Toner, from Glasgow, preyed on his young victims even telling one: “I love you like a son” as he sexually abused him.

Yesterday at the High Court in Glasgow judge Johanna Johnston told Toner: “You were convicted of a number of serious sexual offences against five young boys aged between eight and 11. These boys were in your care as pupils.

“You were a teacher and sometimes had unfettered control of these boys. Your predatory sex offending on these boys was a dreadful breach of trust. You wrecked the lives of these young boys.

“You present a danger of causing serious sexual harm to children.”

Judge Johnston ordered Toner to be monitored for two years after his release from prison and placed him on the sex offenders' register.

Toner – known as Brother Peter - was a house master at the former St Columba's College in Largs, Ayrshire.

He groomed boys at the school run by the Catholic Marist Brothers.and his abuse became so well-known another teacher locked him in his room at night to stop him going near boys.

He was snared after victims bravely reported their ordeals to police.

The pervert moaned he was “heartbroken” by the accusations. He continues to deny sexually abusing his victims.

Toner was convicted of six sex abuse charges and a further charge of assaulting a boy victims with a wooden duster.

Toner is already behind bars for preying on two boys when he worked at another boarding school in Old Windsor, Berkshire in the 1980s, although he is appealing that sentence.

Jurors heard how the teacher would let his victims – who aged between eight and 12 – watch violent films such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Other so called 'treats” would including giving them bottles of juice.

The former pupils kept quiet for almost 40 years. One admitted in court he was “embarrassed” by what happened.

But, the boys, now men, told prosecutor Bernard Ablett how they had suffered at Toner's hands.

One told how he initially searched for his abuser online to see if he was still alive and reported him to the police.

He said: "I had kept it hidden all this time. I wanted it all to come out."

The victim - now 46 - said: “"I was an innocent child who was sexually abused at the hands of that animal - that is the truth.”

Another victim – now 47 -recalled: "He once told me he loved me like a son..”

Another victim, also now 47, said the first person he confided in about the sexual abuse he suffered was his dad in 2006, after seeing something on the news.

Officers from Ayrshire’s Divisional Rape Investigation Unit have been conducting enquiries after receiving a complaint in October 2016. As a result of ongoing enquiries officers identified other victims.

Detective Constable Colin Jones said:

“Peter Toner took advantage of his position of authority and committed these despicable crimes. It takes considerable courage for people to come forward and speak to the police about such crimes and I would like to pay tribute to the victims for their bravery.

“This sentence may give them some sense of justice but it won’t undo the harm they have experienced which has been profound and long lasting.

“I would encourage anyone who has been a victim of any sexual predator to come forward as it is never too late to report sexual abuse to us, no matter when it happened and no matter what the circumstances, they can be assured that they will receive every support from Police Scotland.”