Former Northamptonshire teacher jailed for sexually abusing 14 boys
Robert Gould committed the offences in the 1970s and 1980s
Last updated 26th Mar 2025
A former Northamptonshire teacher, who was convicted of 29 sex offences against boys, has been sentenced to 26 years in prison.
Robert Gould, 74, committed the offences against 14 boys in the 1970s and 1980s when he was a teacher at Rushden’s South End Junior School, and a leader at Park Road Methodist Church youth group.
The majority of the abuse took place during school time with Gould inappropriately touching the boys - asking them to sit on his lap or using the guise of “checking their clothing” to molest them.
The court also heard testimony from a man who was abused by Gould but has since sadly died. The man was only 10 years old at the time of the offences and described how he was repeatedly sexually assaulted by Gould, including being “raped in a storage cupboard” in Gould’s classroom multiple times.
Another boy, now a man, described in court how Gould had stayed at his house when he was only 10 years old and raped him in his own bed.
Other offences took place at the Park Road Methodist Church in Rushden, on a school trip to Wales, and during the school’s chess club sessions.
An investigation into Gould was launched in March 2021 when an online report was bravely made by one of the men. It then turned into a major investigation as more and more survivors came forward.
Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, Gould took the case to trial, with 13 men courageously taking the stand to detail what had happened to them.
As a result, Gould, previously of Wellingborough Road, Rushden, was found guilty on January 27 this year, on 29 charges.
Today (26 March), he was sentenced to 26 years in prison.
During the hearing, victim personal statements written by the men Gould had abused were read out.
Many of them detailed how Gould’s abuse has affected them throughout their lives as they battled with flashbacks, nightmares, and feelings of shame, anxiety and depression.
“I feel that Gould took my innocence away by doing what he did. He violated me and got away with it for so many years,” wrote one of them.
“I went from being the happy lad that was first in the playground and enjoyed going to school, to someone that didn’t want to go to school and made myself sick to get out of going,” wrote another.
A third man said: “I blindly trusted that he had our wellbeing at heart but unfortunately Gould used his status and position for his own gratification.”
Speaking outside court after the hearing, lead investigator Detective Constable Alice Hornsby from Northamptonshire Police’s SOLAR Team, said: “I am pleased to see Robert Gould sent to prison for 26 years although no sentence will ever make up for the abuse that he perpetrated against these boys.
“Many of them spoke today at court to detail the staggering effect Gould’s abuse has had on them and I hope that the conclusion of this case provides them with some closure as well as a sense of justice.
“Feelings of shame were something mentioned in a number of their victim personal statements and whilst this is a common emotion for people who have suffered sexual abuse, I want to be clear that none of them have anything to feel ashamed of.
“All the blame and the shame in this case lies solely with Robert Gould. He was someone in a position of authority who was meant to look after these boys and he grossly misused his power.
“I am so proud of the men in this case for their courage - they are honestly some of the bravest men I have ever met and together, we have managed to put a very dangerous, predatory man behind bars.
“Robert Gould may have thought that he’d gotten away with his crimes but this case goes to show that it doesn’t matter how much time has passed, convictions for sexual abuse can still be achieved and Northamptonshire Police will always do everything it can to secure them.
“I’d also like to thank the Crown Prosecution Service for their support in this case. We have had a strong partnership from the very beginning of the investigation and together, have managed to secure these guilty verdicts.
“Finally, I’d like to take this opportunity to make an appeal to anyone who has suffered sexual abuse but has not yet come forward. Please contact us. We will believe you and we will do everything we can to bring your abuser to justice.”
This report has been released with the support of the survivors, who have the legal right to lifelong anonymity
If you have been a victim of sexual abuse, whether recent or non-recent, please come forward by calling 101 or via the online reporting tool at www.northants.police.uk.
If you have been a victim of rape or sexual abuse, but are not yet ready to speak to the police, please visit www.nhft.nhs.uk/serenity or call Serenity on 01604 601713.
You can also visit www.voicenorthants.org or call Voice on 0300 303 1965.