James Stewart, pictured, will be sentenced today after pleading guilty to the offences at Sawtry Village Academy in Cambridgeshire
The lewd inside of a headmaster’s office turned sex den has been exposed for the first time after he was today jailed for four years for defrauding his school out of £100,000.
James Stewart was put behind bars for four years after pleading guilty to the offences at Sawtry Village Academy in Cambridgeshire.
The teacher ‘specially adapted’ his office into a sex den and habitually left the school to watch horse racing and fly off on skiing holidays.
Pictures showed Stewart’s office littered with sex toys, lubricant, condoms, and wipes.
It was fitted out ‘like an apartment’ with custom made furniture, a drinks cabinet of a kind and Stewart also had within it an ‘inner sanctum’.
Detective Constable Al Bassam of Cambridgeshire Constabulary, said: ‘The office was described by a witness as being set up like an apartment with a lounge area, dining area with cooking facilities and a bedroom area, made up of sofa cushions on the floor.
‘One room contained a dining table, six chairs, three comfy chairs and a coffee table.
‘There was a hand crafted dresser and several cupboards containing glasses and places with custom made oak furniture and doors that had been fitted.
‘There was a sink and toilet described as being in the ‘inner sanctum’ which had been partitioned with towels and rugs on it.
‘Within there items of a sexual nature were found, such as a large purple vibrator, two further vibrators in a drawer a selection of condoms, wet wipes, tissues, a game called saucy charades, a pack of penis-shaped drinking straws, some watermelon lubricant, and six coasters with scenes from the Kama Sutra on them.’
The principal – who had worked at the school for more than 30 years- defrauded the school of more than £100,000 to fund his seedy pursuits and regularly drank heavily during the day
The principal – who had worked at the school for more than 30 years- defrauded the school of more than £100,000 to fund his seedy pursuits and regularly drank heavily during the day.
The 72-year-old was today jailed for four years at Huntingdon Law Courts. Ex-vice principal Alan Stevens, who also admitted committing fraud through misuse of position, was given a sentence of 24 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months and 80 hours’ unpaid work.
Judge Stuart Bridge said: ‘You were charging the school your everyday expenses despite your considerable salary.
‘You had a cozy relationship with you assistant principal and head of governors and were able to get the claims signed off with no problems.’
Sex toys were also discovered next to pictures of Stewart
He continued: ‘Being bullying, overbearing and superior gave you the power you need which you then sought to exploit.’
The judge added: ‘You were regularly engaging in sex during school hours on school premises in so called “inner sanctum”, you were drunk on school premises during school hours, to detriment of your ability to do your job.’
Criminal charges were brought against the pair in December 2014 after the Education Funding Agency investigated the school in July of that year.
This investigation followed a June 2014 Ofsted inspection, which put the College into special measures.
This cabinet full of alcohol was found inside the office by investigators
Stewart, who oversaw the college’s transition from a local authority school to an academy in February 2012, resigned in July 2014.
Stewart pleaded guilty to charges brought against him in March 2017, including one misconduct in public office charge that stated he regularly had sex with an adult in his college office specially modified for this habit.
Police were told about Stewart’s seedy activities after staff members in the school turned whistleblowers to the Department for Education and the Education Funding Agency (EFA) who in turn contacted the police.
Further details of how Stewart spent his ill-gotten gains on sex toysand hotels have also been revealed.
Stewart spent £8,798 on electrical goods including at least three TVs, DVD players, cameras and laptops.
He racked up bills of a staggering £41,233 on food and drink including alcohol often in restaurants in Bedford near to his home address.
The principal had worked at the school, pictured, for more than 30 years
Stewart also spent £4,800 on ‘leisure activities’ – often hotel stays in London at the weekend and buying items of an ‘adult nature from a local adult store’.
He racked up a £1,280 phone bill and a further £10,766 in garden centres, DIY and furniture stores.
Stewart also used the money he defrauded from the school to pay £1,315 on private car insurance, £1,811 on gift cards and vouchers as well as £3,919 on travel.
Other spends included £119 on motor expenses, £6,547 on unknown non-receipted items.
Within that £900 was spent on charge card expense, £724 on private insurance, £414 on newspaper and magazine subscriptions and finally £2,975 on fish and wine.
In September 2014 the academy confirmed all assets had been returned and a cheque for the missing alcohol had been recieved.
In 2013 Stewart’s earnings totalled £120,303 – made up of a basic salary of £113,303 and a community allowance of £7,000 given to schools in areas of deprivation.
Stewart pleaded guilty to charges brought against him in March 2017, including one misconduct in public office charge that stated he regularly had sex with an adult
Another item in the hidden sex den was this ‘saucy charades’ game
The headteacher continued to receive pay rises equal to that of inner city London schools, with added allowances despite the school’s failings.
Stewart received the allowance from 2010 to 2013 and had two salary increases in that time, rising from £109,658 in 2010 to £112,181 from 2010-12 before his final raise to £113,303.
As a result of the EFA investigation, criminal charges were brought against Mr Stewart and Mr Alan Stevens, the former deputy principal, in December 2014.
In March 2017 Mr Stewart pleaded guilty to charges brought against him, including a single charge of misconduct in public office for his sexual exploits, regular drinking during the school day and ski breaks and racing trips.
He also pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud.
Towards the end of Stewart’s shameful tenure in 2014 the academy was placed in special measures and was facing financial crisis.
Reports from the school also say Stewart regularly and frequently locked himself away in his office making it impossible for others to reach him.
Stewart, who oversaw the college’s transition from a local authority school to an academy in February 2012, resigned in July 2014.