Paedophile teacher Sean Aldridge jailed for 12 years after grooming four Warblington School pupils

Today that self-fulfilling prophecy has come true as the brazen former assistant headteacher and head of safeguarding at Warblington School, Havant, was thrown behind bars as punishment for having sexual encounters with four girls.

Aldridge was handed down a term of 12 years by judge Roger Hetherington at Portsmouth Crown Court amid emotional scenes as disbelieving loyal supporters, including former pupils, were left struggling to accept the bitter truth over the popular teacher.

Meanwhile, the man once described as a ‘shining light’ to teachers and pupils due to his natural rapport and ability to get the best from students, was once again left in denial in the dock after shaking his head at the sentence in front of a packed public gallery.

The spectacular fall from grace for Aldridge, 37, brought vindication to the girls he had abused and who suffered for years following his unrelenting abuse on them when they were aged 13-16 between 2006-2012.

One of the girls read out a statement to the court during the sentencing hearing saying how her life had been ‘ruined’. 

Aldridge, of Edmund Road, Southsea, was found guilty of 24 counts of sexual activity with a child and a single charge of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity after a three week trial.

The girl, who along with the other victims had been accused of ‘getting their heads together’ by Aldridge and his lawyer.

Aldridge’s insatiable appetite for girls at the school was matched only by his arrogance in believing he could silence the now young women - two of whom he seedily took their virginity from after engaging in intercourse across locations around the school such as his office and washroom.

But after realising they had been groomed by the predator, years later they finally built up the courage to admit the truth after covering for Aldridge for so long.

Aldridge even impregnated one girl before she had a miscarriage. His first thought was for himself. ‘I could go to prison for this,’ he told her, casting a mental scar on her first sexual experience.

All this behind the back of his long suffering partner, who he had two children with. His fling with one of the girls happened around the time he went on paternity leave for his new born baby.

Warblington School, which carried out an investigation into Aldridge’s conduct with a pupil on a previous occasion, promoted the assistant headteacher to head of safeguarding.