WATCH: Disgraced ex-teacher guilty of teen sexual abuse

Thursday 17 January 2019

A former teacher has been found guilty of sexually abusing two teenage girls in the 1990s and 2000s.

Ian David Priestley (66), who previously worked at Le Rocquier and Les Quennevais, learned his sentence at the Royal Court this afternoon following a three-day jury trial.

In total, he was found guilty of all ten charges against him - six counts of indecent assault and four counts of procuring acts of gross indecency 1990s and 2000s.

Throughout the trial, Priestley strenuously denied the allegations, even taking to the stand during the trial to defend his innocence. 

Video: The ex-teacher leaving court after learning of his conviction.

However, after five-and-a-half hours of deliberation, a jury of five women and seven men found the 66-year-old ‘guilty’ of all charges. 

The trial saw the jury hear from both of Priestley's victims - one of whom said that she still feels “dirty” after what he did to her.

The other woman claimed that Priestley would text or call her to arrange meetings in Howard Davis Park where he would kiss and grope her as well as getting her to touch him inappropriately.

Pictured: Priestly has been convicted of sexually abusing a teenage girl in Howard Davis Park.

Summing up his case before the jury retired, Crown Advocate Julian Gollop said that the second victim told the Court that “she could still smell Ian Priestley, she could still feel his stubble. That’s how vivid her recollection was.” 

The Crown Advocate said that Priestley “targeted two girls of similar ages". "They were naïve about sexual matters and they were virgins. They were frightened of him," he told the court. 

Advocate Ian Jones appeared for the defence, while Royal Court Commissioner Sir Michael Birt presided over the trial.

Pictured: Priestley has been taken into custody while he awaits his sentencing.

Priestley has been taken into custody to await sentencing on 14 February and he has also been placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register.