Former London teacher Michael Crombie jailed for sex attacks

A sex attacker who preyed on children while working as a music teacher at schools in east London over nearly 30 years has been jailed.

Michael Crombie, 75, of Woodford Green, north London, earlier admitted 47 counts of indecently assaulting children between 1964 and 1993.

The court heard he attacked 16 pupils at Beal Grammar School and Wanstead High School where he was a teacher.

Crombie was jailed for three years at the Old Bailey.

He also admitted two counts of sexual activity with a child between 2005 and 2007.

But Crombie denied two counts of rape and a further 26 counts of indecent assault which were ordered to lie on file.

He is currently serving a prison sentence after being convicted at Snaresbrook Crown Court in 2010 for inappropriately touching nine students between 1993 and 2001.

The seven-year jail term was reduced to five on appeal and he was due to be released in May 2013.

Judge Wendy Joseph criticised the school authorities for not taking complaints about Crombie seriously.

Judge Joseph said: "It is clear complaints were made to the school by a number of the girls on a number of occasions but no one took adequate steps to stop this defendant preying on these girls."

The offending came to the attention of police after they began investigating Crombie when he retired and started molesting students he was giving private lessons to.

Judge Joseph jailed him for a further three years, saying she had to use sentencing guidelines in operation at the time.

She had read nine impact statements and a common element was that Crombie "took over their lives and effectively seduced what were innocent and trusting girls".