Former Lowestoft science teacher convicted of child sexual offences
He was found to have groomed and abused a 15 year old he taught two decades ago
Last updated 11th Jul 2023
A former Suffolk science teacher has been convicted of the sexual assault of a former pupil, who he taught around 20 years ago.
55 year old Mark Langford, from Beccles, was also caught with thousands of child abuse images following an investigation by the National Crime Agency.
NCA officers seized a letter he'd written to his victim, a pupil at a Lowestoft school he'd taught between 2004 and 2006.
In the letter he attempted to coach the victim in what to say if she were questioned by police, to avoid incriminating himself.
A total of 2,718 indecent images were found on five different devices owned by Langford.
It was found he'd shared images on websites frequented by other paedophiles, with officers able to recover chat logs in which he spoke to others about the sexual abuse of children.
Langford taught at various secondary schools in Norfolk and Suffolk from 1996 until just after his arrest.
NCA Operations Manager Holly Triggs said: “Mark Langford grossly abused his position of trust. In short, his offending was despicable and manipulative.
“This was evident from the way he attempted to coerce his victim into lying about his offending and the explicit conversations he had with other paedophiles online.
“The NCA will continue to protect children by identifying those offenders who pose the highest risk and ensuring they are held accountable for their actions.”
Langford was sacked as a teacher in January last year and will face sentencing at Ipswich Crown Court on September 25.