Victims who were sexually abused by a former west Suffolk teacher have told a court of the trauma inflicted on them.

Richard Taylor, of West Street in Icklingham, near Bury St Edmunds, was jailed for 20 years with an additional two years on extended licence for 17 counts of sexual activity with two children.

Taylor, 56, was previously found guilty at Ipswich Crown Court of one count of rape, six counts of indecent assault of a male, and nine counts of indecency with a child between 1999 and 2001.

The court heard a statement from one of the victims read out by prosecutor Richard Potts, who said: “The emotional anguish was far greater in significance than any physical injury.

Taylor was jailed at Ipswich Crown CourtTaylor was jailed at Ipswich Crown Court (Image: Suffolk police)

“I feel the crime itself turned a bright funny child into a withdrawn distrustful person.

“I still have flashbacks and nightmares from that time.”

The victim added: “I was in denial about what I was running from. It was years afterwards I realised I was running from self-hatred, feeling I was dirty, unclean and the deep shame that came with it.”

“I was desperately trying to keep the memory of what I suffered buried deeply within.”

“Regarding relationships in my life I’ve always had difficulty allowing people in.

“I’ve been defensive, cold and aloof. I’ve been afraid of being vulnerable."

The victim explained that Taylor “represented himself as this kindly, cool adult that any child would want to spend time with” but said “I wasn’t able to see through or evaluate this as a child”.

The other victim echoed this and said Taylor seemed a “person of unquestionable trust”.

However, this victim added: “He was sexual abusing me at his home on the basis that he was helping me become an adult and this is how people help each other enter adulthood”.

The victim explained he had been sworn to secrecy and that now intrusive graphic thoughts about what happened are a constant problem.

In mitigation the court heard the defendant has no other convictions and that there were no complaints of misconduct during his “unblemished” 20-year teaching career teacher.

The court heard the arrest and conviction were a sledgehammer blow to Taylor’s wife and children.  

Judge Martyn Levett jailed Taylor for 20 years and added the defendant’s character “was shrouded by a secretive and rather darker side” and that he had caused “untold damage”.