Former Teacher Found Guilty Of Historic Sexual Abuse At Hastings Children’s Home

A former teacher has been found guilty of carrying out a series of historic sexual assaults at a children’s home in East Sussex during the 1970s.

Roland Simmons, 77, worked at Guestling House in Hastings at the time of the offences, which involved four boys who were living in care at the property.

He was convicted at Lewes Crown Court on Tuesday of 10 counts of indecent assault on a male person.

Catherine Wear, Senior Crown Prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service, said Simmons had been in a position of trust but instead abused that responsibility.

She said he targeted boys who were unlikely to be able to report what was happening to them at the time.

During the case, the court heard one victim woke to find Simmons assaulting him, with the former teacher later attempting to claim the boy had been dreaming.

Another victim described Simmons as “persistent” following the initial abuse, with the court hearing how he would repeatedly ask the boy to accompany him alone in his car, which was refused.

Ms Wear said the trauma of sexual abuse often prevents victims from coming forward for many years, but praised those involved for their courage in reporting what happened.

She added that their evidence had ensured Simmons was brought to justice for what she described as “appalling crimes”.

Simmons is due to be sentenced at a later date.