A former educator, Robert Gould Rushden Paedophile, has been found guilty of 29 sexual crimes after a trial that concluded yesterday (January 27) at Northampton Crown Court.
The jury deliberated for nearly 13 hours before convicting 74-year-old Robert Gould on 27 charges of indecent assault on a male, one crime of indecency with a juvenile, and one count of buggery, in violation of the Sexual Offences Act 1956.
The charges against the 14 boys occurred in the 1970s and 1980s when Robert Gould served as a teacher at South End Junior School and as a leader in the Park Road Methodist Church youth group.
The majority of the abuse occurred during school hours, with Robert Gould inappropriately touching the boys by requesting them to sit on his lap or employing the pretence of “checking their clothing” to molest them.
On one occasion, a boy was instructed to store the equipment after football practice and, in the process, became drenched due to the rain.
He said in court that Robert Gould instructed him and a companion to change out of their damp garments, while inappropriately touching him through his pants, claiming he was ‘checking his pants were dry’.
The court received testimony from an individual who was victimised by Gould but has since unfortunately passed away. The individual was merely ten years old throughout the incidents and recounted being regularly sexually attacked by Gould, including instances of being “raped in a storage cupboard” within Robert Gould’s classroom on many occasions.
A man recounted in court how Robert Gould had resided at his home when he was at 10 years old and assaulted him in his own bed.
Additional violations transpired at the Park Road Methodist Church in Rushden, and one offence occurred during a school excursion to Wales.
An inquiry into Gould commenced in March 2021 following a courageous internet complaint by one of the individuals involved. This then evolved into a significant investigation as an increasing number of survivors emerged.
Notwithstanding the substantial evidence arrayed against him, Robert Gould proceeded to trial, with 13 individuals audaciously testifying about their experiences.
The robust case for the prosecution was facilitated by a solid collaboration between the police investigation and the prosecutor.
From an early stage, the prosecutor gave legal advice to the investigation, identifying the lines of enquiry that could support a prosecution and advising how a strong case could be built. In turn, the police worked tirelessly to follow these lines of enquiry and secure the evidence from the victims to prosecute Robert Gould for the full extent of his crimes.
As a result, Robert Gould, previously of Wellingborough Road, Rushden, was found guilty today on 29 charges. He was remanded into custody and will be sentenced at the same court on Friday, February 21.
Lead investigator – Detective Constable Alice Hornsby from Northamptonshire Police’s SOLAR Team, said: “First of all I want to thank all of the survivors in this case. It takes tremendous bravery to report this type of crime to the police and every single one of them should feel proud of the fact that their courage has resulted in a dangerous man being sent to prison.
“Without them, and the witnesses in this case, making statements and being prepared to go to court, this wouldn’t have been possible.
“It is often difficult for victims of sexual abuse to come forward and this is especially the case for male victims who often believe that they need to remain silent about their experiences because of an internalised belief that speaking up is a sign of weakness.
“On the contrary, these men are some of the bravest men I’ve ever met and their courage and resilience has been incredible, especially as the investigation has taken nearly four years to get to court.
“Robert Gould may have thought that he’d gotten away with his crimes but this case goes to show that it doesn’t matter how much time has passed, convictions for sexual abuse can still be achieved and Northamptonshire Police will always do everything it can to secure them.
“I’d also like to thank the Crown Prosecution Service for their support in this case. We have had a strong partnership from the very beginning of the investigation and together, have managed to secure these guilty verdicts.
“Finally, I’d like to take this opportunity to make an appeal to anyone who has suffered sexual abuse but has not yet come forward. Please contact us. We will believe you and we will do everything we can to bring your abuser to justice.”
This report has been released with the support of the survivors, who have the legal right to lifelong anonymity
If you have been a victim of sexual abuse, whether recent or non-recent, please come forward by calling 101 or via the online reporting tool at www.northants.police.uk.
We will believe you.
If you have been a victim of rape or sexual abuse, but are not yet ready to speak to the police, please visit www.nhft.nhs.uk/serenity or call Serenity on 01604 601713.
Serenity provides free, confidential 24/7 support.
You can also visit www.voicenorthants.org or call Voice on 0300 303 1965.
Voice is a support service for anyone living in Northamptonshire, regardless of when, where or how crime happened to you. Services are free, confidential and you don’t have to have reported anything to the police.
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.