Former school principal sentenced to 17 years in prison for sexually abusing girls

A former high school principal who had a “sexual obsession” with young girls has been sentenced to 17 years in prison.

Neil Foden, 66, who worked at a school in North Wales, was convicted at trial in May of 19 offenses relating to the molestation of four girls over four years.

Sentencing him at Mold Crown Court on Monday, Judge Rhys Rowlands said: “Your behaviour was a result of your arrogant sense of self-importance, to the extent that you believed no-one would stand up to you.”

He said Foden was “determined” to satisfy his “perverted desires”, which included a urination fetish.

He described Foden as a “dominant” and “bombasasty” figure who was admired by many, but was “a man who managed to hide a terrible secret, a terrifying character flaw, which is his sexual obsession with young teenage girls.”

The judge said: “It is clear that you feel no remorse whatsoever. You have shown no remorse whatsoever for what you have done, and you have no insight into the undoubted, very serious harm you have caused to both the individual victims and their families.”

Two of his victims appeared in court to read statements detailing the impact the abuse had on them.

One said: “He took advantage of my body and mind, leaving me feeling tired and sick all the time.”

Another victim said: “I have the impression that when he told me to go to court to give evidence, he wanted to hurt me for reporting him and instead of justice, he wanted revenge.”

In a statement read to the court, another of the girls Foden abused said: “I believed him when he said he loved me and that I was the only person he wanted.”

She added: “What Mr Foden did is wrong. It hit me hard and I will never forgive him.”

Foden shook his head as victim impact statements were read out but showed no emotion as the verdict was announced.

He was also ordered to pay £4,000 in costs.

During the hearing, the court was shown a video of the defendant holding the hand of one of the girls, Child A, as she sat in the back of his car while he sat in the driver’s seat.

Foden, who was previously a board member of the National Union of Teachers, was arrested after Child A showed an adult a photo of them together and screenshots of messages about oral sex.

The court heard that he would pick her up in a car and take her to remote places.

Another complainant, Child E, told police that she called Foden “Mr. P” (perfect), while he called her “his little sex toy”.

She also described meeting the defendant in his BMW car, which had personalized number plates, and driving to remote bays and country roads “so he could play with me”.

After Foden was arrested, police found a pair of purple and black lace handcuffs with DNA matching Foden and the teenager in the trunk of his car.

Foden was convicted of pinching Child B on the thigh and putting his hand under her clothes, and of placing his hands on the top of Child C’s inner thighs.

Duncan Bould, defending, said Foden had made a positive contribution to the lives of others as a teacher and a trade union representative.

He said: “All those achievements have now been lost to him because of his own behaviour, as has his reputation.”

The court heard that concerns about Foden had been raised with Gwynedd Council at an earlier stage but no investigation was carried out.

Following his beliefs, a council spokeswoman said there would be an independent review.

Foden, of Old Colwyn, north Wales, was convicted of 12 counts of sexual activity with a child, two counts of sexual activity with a child in a position of trust, and one count each of causing or inducing sexual activity with a child, attempting to arrange the commission of a sexual offence against a child, sexual contact with a child, possessing indecent images of a child and sexual assault on a child.

He was cleared of one count of sexual activity with a child, in which he was alleged to have touched Child D’s bottom.