By Grâçia Ada Obi
A former Catholic school teacher ‘performed oral sex’ on a student in a classroom cupboard.
Anthony Redmond, now 54, of Fort Austin Avenue, Plymouth, was charged with five counts of abuse of a position of trust by engaging in sexual activity with one girl aged under 18, two counts of abuse of a position of trust by engaging in sexual activity with a second girl and one count of indecency with a child at a hotel.
He was found guilty at Plymouth Crown Court on Tuesday February 10, 2026 of all eight charges.
The offences spanned a period during the 2000s when Redmond worked as a geography teacher at the Notre Dame Catholic school in Looseleigh Lane, Plymouth. Throughout the trial, which commenced in December 2025 and continued into January this year, jurors heard how the offences occurred at his residence, on school grounds, at a hotel and at another site.
Alongside offences of full intercourse with both his victims, one charge involved him performing oral sex on one girl in a school storage cupboard whilst another saw him digitally penetrate his second victim in the school staffroom.
The jury at Plymouth Crown Court heard from one of the victims who stated she was left feeling “used and worthless” by Redmond. The court was told that Redmond took the virginity of both his victims.
Redmond refuted the allegations, but on January 6 the jury convicted him by unanimous verdict of all the offences. During today’s sentencing hearing, prosecutor Kelly Scrivener highlighted that Redmond was in his late 20s when the offences occurred, approximately double the age of his victims.
She revealed that in his pre-sentence report, Redmond had referenced a “different culture” from that era.
She told the court: “He’s wrong about that. It was, as he’s very much found out, illegal, even back then, what he was doing to these young students.”
She said the report’s author also identified evidence of Redmond “minimising his behaviour and victim blaming”.
Ms Scrivener presented a statement from one of the two victims who branded Redmond as a “sick and twisted”. She explained that prior to meeting him, her sole focus had been on her education.
She said Redmond “took advantage of my naivete and young age” and exploited his role as a teacher “to groom me and violate me for his own sexual gratification.”
She wrote: “At 16-years-old I should not have lost my virginity to a man of his age, let alone the fact that he was in a position of trust to me.”
She emphasised how Redmond’s persistent denials about his conduct had compelled her to “further endure and relive the things that happened.”
She stated that his efforts to conceal his actions demonstrated that he had “no remorse”. She added: “He is clearly a sick and twisted man that had a thing for young girls and I truly believe that he is a danger to the community and should never be allowed in a position of such trust around young girls again.”
Another victim, giving evidence remotely, stated the harm Redmond inflicted upon her “would last a lifetime”. Now a mother herself, she said she did not want to be “groomed” by Redmond, did not want to lose her virginity to him and “did not want to feel worthless – he chose these for me.”
She explained: “He picked me out of a crowd and flirted with me, whispered in my ear when no-one was looking trips to McDonalds at lunchtime and extra-long glances to make me feel special.”
She continued: “He dared to play with my innocence, my vulnerability, my body. When he was done he pestered me about whether he had taken my virginity. That was his concern. I was just another schoolgirl. He took me to a hotel at 15, but waited until I was 16 to do what he really wanted. The law said 16 was better than 15. A few weeks meant everything, but the damage would last a lifetime.
“I am angry that he was able to exist in an all-girls school and force his perverted predatory behaviour on me. Geography teacher, a pianist, a Catholic role model – all a cover up for his disgusting intentions which I endured.”
The victim also criticised the school and fellow staff members, claiming those who were aware or had suspicions “turned the other way.”
Her voice trembling as she delivered her statement, she said that during her “most vulnerable years no-one within the school showed the strength to put me first.” She highlighted his attempts to contact her afterwards in a bid to conceal his actions, “always manipulating, making sure that I stayed quiet'”
She stated: “I was his perfect victim by not speaking out. But keeping his dirty acts a secret has never sat right with me.”
In mitigation, his counsel Ali Rafati pointed out that his client is now 54, married with two children and has no prior convictions. Mr Rafati drew attention to the numerous character references from family, friends, neighbours and professional contacts. He also mentioned that the offences were “historic”, having occurred 20 years ago. Regarding risk, he said the offences were both “historic and situational to where this happened.”
Mr Rafati also referenced Redmond’s assertion that this took place during a “different generation, a different time” when the legislation addressing this “type of offending” was “very young” and had “just come in.” Citing a letter penned to the judge by one of Redmond’s own offspring, Mr Rafati described his client as a “model father.”
