David Pickthall was sentenced to 12 years in prison with a further four on license (Image: PA)
A former choirmaster and teacher has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for child sex offences over a period of 40 years.
David Pickthall from Cambridgeshire, pleaded guilty to 29 offences – 16 counts of indecent assault, 10 counts of voyeurism, and three counts of making an indecent image of a child against 19 victims.
The offences are believed to have happened between 1980 and 2021, with the majority of victims being underage boys at the time of the attacks.
Pickthall was a respected musician and choirmaster, receiving an MBE in 2015 for services to education and to charity, but faces being stripped of his award following his conviction.
Investigating officer Detective Constable Chelsie Stamford said: “I want to praise the strength demonstrated by the victims in this case for coming forward and telling us what happened to them.
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Pickthall was sentenced to 12 years in prison and 4 on license today at Chelmsford Crown Court (Image: Lucy North/PA Wire)
“David Pickthall subjected them to an unimaginable ordeal that will stay with them for their whole lives.”
One victim recounted the impact of the abuse he suffered at the hands of Pickthall.
He said: “Since being involved in the investigation, and confronting what’s happened, I’ve found I lack trust in people and their motives.
“It’s had a massive impact on my closest relationships, and they may not recover but I’ve found talking has helped. Genuinely talking.
“Initially I didn’t talk. The stigma attached to this and the shame I felt prevented it, and I went to some dark places but being encouraged to talk was a lifesaver – literally.”
Pickthall faces being stripped of his MBE following the conviction (Image: Lucy North/PA Wire)
The former teacher had worked as a choirmaster in the Havering district of London and as a music teacher in Brentwood, Essex, at the time of his offending.
Some of the survivors told the police that Pickthall had them stay at his home address and show them pornographic material, while also taking advantage of situations where he was alone with them to assault them.
Officers also discovered that, in the months before his arrest in 2021 Pickthall had been engaging in sexual communication with a 15 year-old boy on the messaging app Telegram.
Videos and images were also located at his home of young men and boys. Officers established that Pickthall had filmed men and boys without their knowledge or consent while they were staying at his home.
He also created social media accounts, pretending to be someone else, to obtain indecent images of children.
The offences date as far back as 1980 and police believe there are more victims yet to come forward (Image: Lucy North/PA Wire)
Officers believe that there will be more victims yet to come forward and have urged victims that they will be listened to.
DC Stamford said: “The scale of David Pickthall’s offending – both in terms of the number of people he targeted and the four decades in which it took place – is horrifying.
“I want to praise the courage of all those involved in the investigation for coming forward and telling us what happened.
“Sadly, I do not believe Pickthall’s offending is limited to the 19 men involved in this investigation.
“I strongly suspect there are other people who will have been targeted and abused by him who we’ve not been able to identify.
“My message to you is please come and talk to us. You will be listened to, and we will investigate.”
If you have any information relating to this investigation, please get in contact quoting the crime reference number 42/238353/21.
You can let us know by submitting a report on our website or by using our online Live Chat service which is available 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week.
Visit www.essex.police.uk/digital101 to find out more about our online reporting services.
If you would like to make an anonymous report you can contact independent charity @Crimestoppers, by visiting their website or by calling 0800 555 111.
