A RENOWNED music teacher “groomed” young boys and “lured” them into sexual relationships.

Andrew Wilson attacked the boys in Warnham in West Sussex during the mid 1980s, when he was a choirmaster at St Margaret’s Church.

The 57-year-old choirmaster was found guilty of 19 offences after a 17-day trial at Lewes Crown Court this week.

It included 16 offences against three boys aged between nine and 14.

Detective Constable Gemma Nickols said Wilson, of Walton-on-the-naze in Essex, was a “highly capable musician” who was “well known in the world of all-male choirs and choral music”.

“His criminal behaviour involved grooming certain boys in his choirs, singling them out for special treatment, flattering them with his notions of how special they were and then luring them into a sexual relationship with him,” she said.

His offences included gross indecency, eight indecent assaults, and a sexual assault and meeting a child for sexual activity between 2008 and 2011 in South London.

The paedophile was also found guilty of possessing 1,366 indecent images of children. He has been jailed for a total of 12 years for the offences.

After the case an NSPCC spokesperson said: “Wilson’s actions were wicked and predatory, robbing his victims of their childhoods.

“Admitting his guilt would have spared them the trauma of reliving their abuse but instead they were forced to recount their experiences in court, paying a heavy emotional toll. 

“Cases such as this show that victims can achieve justice no matter how long ago the crime occurred.”

Information for victims of child sexual abuse can be found on the Sussex Police website.