A RETIRED school teacher from Malvern who sexually abused two young girls and took indecent photographs of them has been jailed for a total of four-and-a-half years.

Simon Moody, 71, of Elgar Avenue was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life and made the subject of a sexual offences prevention order when he appeared at Warwick Crown Court on Thursday (March 31).

Prosecutor Iain Willis said that in around 1998 a six-year-old girl went with her parents to Moody’s then home in New Road, Studley, near Redditch.

After taking her into another room and helping her use a computer, Moody indecently assaulted and took pictures of her.

Moody told the girl not to tell anyone, and it was only last November that she confided in her boyfriend, who persuaded her to tell her mother. The girl, now in her late teens, said a similar incident suffered by a friend had brought the experience back to her.

Moody was arrested and admitted the assault and taking four indecent pictures.

He said he had been interested in young girls “for a very long time”, and had also downloaded images onto his computer. Police found 32 still and 80 moving images.

Police also re-opened an earlier investigation into Moody’s conduct towards an eight-year-old girl.

Her parents complained to police in 2002 about his repeated sexual abuse of her in the late 80’s during private home tuition sessions, when he had been giving her private maths tutoring.

At that time Moody denied the offences, but when he was questioned again he admitted his actions.

Kevin Saunders, defending, said: “Were he to be sentenced for any other offence, I would be able to advance on his behalf his previous good character, his years of service to the community and years of service to his profession.

“But in these circumstances they serve only to be aggravating features. The further tragedy is that any good he has done, his life-time profession and his commitment will always be viewed with cynicism. He is thoroughly ashamed.”

Mrs Justice Dame Julia Macur told Moody: “Both victims of your indecent assaults were very young girls, and they were vulnerable. You abused your position of trust.”

She jailed Moody for three years for the indecent assaults, with a consecutive 18-month term for the indecent pictures.