Ex-teacher Jonathan O'Brien jailed for abusing pupils
A former teacher has been jailed for 13 years for a series of sex offences while he worked at private schools.
Jonathan O'Brien, 56, of Bosham, West Sussex, sexually abused pupils aged 10 to 16 during the 1980s at schools in Worcestershire and Oxfordshire.
He was found guilty of 17 counts of indecent assault and five of gross indecency in December.
Judge Richard Fraser said some of the victims were unable to hold back tears as they relived the abuse in court.
"It was abundantly clear from the understandably emotional evidence they gave during your trial that your actions have left a very dark shadow which each of them has had to find ways to deal with," he told O'Brien.
Abused in darkroom
Chichester Crown Court heard the offences were committed against six boys at Winterfold House School near Kidderminster, Worcestershire and three boys at The Oratory School in Woodcote, Oxfordshire.
O'Brien abused pupils at Winterfold in a darkroom under the guise of giving photography lessons.
The offences involved boarders at both schools.
Some took place at O'Brien's home in Oxfordshire while he was teaching at The Oratory.
He was placed on the sex offenders register for life and made the subject of a sexual offences prevention order banning him, once released, from sleeping in the same house or having any unsupervised contact with a child under 16.