Teacher admits child sex offences across 40 years

The former teacher admitted child sex offences when he appeared at Colchester Magistrates' Court

A respected musician and choirmaster has admitted dozens of sexual offences involving children across more than 40 years.

David Pickthall was working as a teacher in Brentwood, Essex, and as a choirmaster in the London Borough of Havering when some of his offending happened.

The 65-year-old from Cheveley, Cambridgeshire, entered guilty pleas to 37 counts of sexual offences when he appeared at Colchester Magistrates' court on Tuesday.

Essex Police said he had been charged following an investigation into alleged offences against 19 people between 1980 and 2021.

Pickthall admitted 24 counts of indecent assault, 10 counts of observing a person doing a private act, and three counts of making an indecent image of a child.

He was awarded an MBE in 2015 for services to education and to charity and worked as the musical arranger for Channel Four's Paul O'Grady Show.

Throughout his career he also worked in TV and film, conducting music on Tracy Beaker: The Movie of Me in 2004 and supervising the music for Julian Fellowes' A Most Mysterious Murder in 2005.

He was presented with a civic award for services to the arts in Brentwood in 1997.

Pickthall has been given conditional bail and is due to be sentenced on 11 November at Chelmsford Crown Court.

Det Con Chelsie Stamford praised the strength demonstrated by the victims.

She said: “David Pickthall subjected them to an unimaginable ordeal that will stay with them for their whole lives.

“Ultimately, he was faced with no option other than to admit his crimes.

“Their evidence has ensured we’ve been able to hold Pickthall accountable for what he has done to them and will face justice."