A former teacher at Lancing College in West Sussex has been convicted of multiple child sex offences and the unauthorized sharing of personal data belonging to pupils.
Nick Baldock, 46, was charged with sexual assault after he indecently touched a teenage student in July 2022. Following the incident, Baldock contacted the victim under the pretence of apologising but instead made inappropriate sexual comments about younger boys.
Baldock was subsequently arrested, and a search of his digital devices revealed several indecent images of children, including Category A images, the most serious kind. None of these images were of current or former pupils at Lancing College. Investigators also discovered messages on the Telegram messaging app indicating Baldock’s sexual interest in boys aged between 13 and 17.
The investigation further uncovered that Baldock had sent non-indecent pictures of boys to other individuals with similar interests. Some of these images were downloaded from the school’s database, leading to charges of knowingly disclosing personal data without consent.
In total, Baldock faced charges of sexual assault, two counts of publishing an obscene article, three counts of knowingly disclosing personal data without consent relating to six victims who were pupils at the college, and three counts of making an indecent photograph of a child. These offences occurred between August 2021 and December 2022.
At a hearing on Friday, August 30, at Crawley Magistrates’ Court, Baldock pleaded guilty to all charges. He was released on conditional court bail and was placed on the Sex Offenders Register. His sentencing is scheduled for September 27 at a court to be confirmed.
Detective Sergeant Paul Hitchcock of Sussex Police’s Online Child Abuse Team (OCAT) stated, “Nick Baldock betrayed the trust of all of his victims, their families, and the entire school community, using his position to pursue his disturbing sexual interest in young boys. I would like to thank the victim who reported the sexual assault to the school, which allowed us to discover the wider scale of Baldock’s offending, as well as Lancing College for their support of the investigation. We will now look ahead to sentencing towards the end of this month.”
The case has sent shockwaves through the community, with many expressing their dismay at the betrayal of trust by someone in such a respected position. The school has pledged its full support to the ongoing investigation and to the well-being of its students.
