Former Eton housemaster ‘swapped images of naked children’

A former teacher and housemaster at Eton College has been reported over alleged child abuse.

The late Raef Payne has been accused of swapping pictures of naked children with other men at parties in the latest case of suspected historic abuse at a British boarding school.  

The elite college reported its former staff member to Thames Valley police after the allegations surfaced in a book.

Eton College (pictured) reported the allegations to Thames Valley police after Raef Payne was accused of swapping pictures of naked children 

These historic abuse allegations follows claims of drunken floggings at the school, The Sunday Times reports.   

A spokesperson for Eton told the paper: ‘We became aware of an allegation relating to a former member of staff and we contacted the police. 

‘As a school, we take our safeguarding responsibilities extremely seriously and always pass any allegations to the relevant authorities.’ 

It comes ahead of an ITV documentary that will be shown tomorrow night at 10.45pm titled Boarding Schools: The Secret Shame – Exposure.  

It is presented by Alex Renton, a victim of abuse at Ashdown House, which is the former preparatory school of Boris Johnson, Viscount Linley and Damian Lewis.

He was abused by maths teacher Thomas Keane at the school in East Sussex, where paedophile Martin Haigh also taught.

In tomorrow’s documentary, Mr Renton speaks with a person who was abused by Haigh, who was jailed for 12 years in March last year. 

Thomas Keane, pictured, abused Alex Renton at Ashdown House in East Sussex

Thomas Keane abused Alex Renton at Ashdown House in East Sussex where Martin Haigh, pictured, also taught before being jailed for historic sex offences at the school

Thomas Keane, left, abused Alex Renton at Ashdown House in East Sussex where Martin Haigh, right, also taught before being jailed for historic sex offences at the school

The documentary exposes how one paedophile teacher was sexually abused by five masters when he was at prep school.

‘It never did me any harm,’ is the teacher’s chilling conclusion in the documentary, which focuses on schools at which 75,000 children still board today. 

Today 24 police forces released figures showing that 425 people have been accused of sex attacks at UK boarding schools since 2012.   

Figures also showed at least 160 people have so far been charged. Of those accused, more than 170 faced allegations of historical abuse, with 125 alleged to have attacked children recently. Police are investigation 31 cases.

Alex Renton, pictured aged eight at Ashdown

Alex Renton returns to the school in tomorrow's ITV documentary

Alex Renton, pictured aged eight at Ashdown, left, returns to the school, right, in tomorrow’s ITV documentary 

In the 1990s, allegations surfaced of drunken floggings at Eton. Anthony Chenevix-Trench, who was the school’s headmaster in the 1960s, was said to have cried after engaging in the beatings.

Some Old Etonians said they deserved floggings while others dubbed it a ‘bizarre ritual’.

It is expected that this year’s independent inquiry into child sexual abuse will consider boarding schools.  

  



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