September 2020

Former headmaster jailed for sexual abuse in Aberdeen and Thailand

A former headmaster who filmed his rape and abuse of a girl during almost a decade of sex assaults on the victim was jailed for nine years today.

Arthur Hutchinson, 74, moved to Thailand after retiring from the teaching profession and later began molesting the child from the age of eight

But Hutchinson’s exploitation of the victim escalated into repeated rapes during some of which she was unconscious after he used a cloth soaked in lighter fuel to sedate her.

He amassed a collection of photographs and over 50 hours worth of videos showing the abuse which were found by police on his computer equipment after she moved to Scotland to pursue higher education studies

The victim opened up to a counsellor after an argument with the rapist and subbed uncontrollably as she revealed what she had been subjected to. Police were contacted and officers arrested Hutchinson in Aberdeen.

A judge told Hutchinson at the High Court in Edinburgh: “Your offending involved a sustained course of conduct against your victim over a period of nine years.

Lord Fairley pointed out that during that period Hutchinson had “intoxicated and subdued” the victim with lighter fuel to facilitate his offending.

The judge said that the crimes had involved “a high degree of coercion and control” by the former schoolteacher.

He said a background report prepared on the offender showed that he demonstrated “little or no empathy or understanding of the effect of you long term abuse”.

Lord Fairley told him that he had been convicted after a trial he would have faced a 16-year sentence, including 13 years imprisonment.

But the judge said that following his earlier guilty pleas he would sentence Hutchinson to nine years in custody with a further three years period of supervision.

Hutchinson, who followed proceedings by a video link to Grampian prison, earlier admitted sexually assaulting the girl from the age of eight in December 2010 in Thailand and later raping her in the Asian country and at an address in Aberdeen.

He also pled guilty to making indecent photos of the child between September 2014 and January this year in Thailand and Scotland.

Advocate depute Richard Goddard QC told the court that Hutchinson was “very controlling” of the child victim.

The prosecutor said her family was poor and lived in relative poverty and the girl felt a responsibility to obtain and education to provide for herself and her family in the future.

Following her move to Scotland Hutchinson prepared a document containing rules for her to follow.

Mr Goddard said: “The complainer did not resist the accused’s advances because she was afraid that he would withdraw financial support from her family and stop her education.”

He said the victim, now aged 18, began seeing a counsellor and in February this year disclosed the sexual abuse.

“She was crying uncontrollably and stated that she did not want to do it anymore but that the accused had threatened to withdraw financial assistance from her family if she did not comply,” he said.

Mr Goddard said that in the films recovered Hutchinson was seen on a number of occasions to place a cloth over the victim’s mouth, which appeared to have the effect of rendering her unconscious, before he had sex with her.

The prosecutor said: “The complainer was unaware of the photos being taken or videos being recorded.”

He said that during an interview with police Hutchinson, a first offender, admitted the sexual conduct with the victim but suggested she was a willing participant.

He also admitted administering lighter fluid to her but alleged that she enjoyed it and liked to inhale it.

Hutchinson, who was latterly a headmaster at a secondary school in West Yorkshire, was placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

September 2020

Arthur Hutchinson, 74, began targeting the victim when she was aged eight in Thailand, and continued when she moved to Scotland to pursue higher education.

She did not resist as she was afraid he would withdraw financial support from her family and stop her education.

After release, he will face a further three years period of supervision.

The court heard that the victim revealed that she had been sexually abused to a counsellor.

After arresting Hutchinson, police seized a laptop which contained videos and images of the victim.

He admitted five charges.

Hutchinson was a school teacher for more than 40 years, and latterly was employed as the headmaster of a secondary school in West Yorkshire before retiring in 2008.

The first offender went abroad to live two years later and settled in Thailand where he began abusing the child.

Lord Fairley, at the High Court in Edinburgh, said: “Your offending involved a sustained course of conduct against your victim over a period of nine years.”

The judge said that the crimes had involved “a high degree of coercion and control”.

He said a background report prepared on the offender showed that he demonstrated “little or no empathy or understanding of the effect of you long term abuse”.

Lord Fairley told him that had he been convicted after a trial he would have faced a 16-year sentence, including 13 years imprisonment.

But the judge said that following his earlier guilty pleas he would sentence Hutchinson to nine years in custody with a further three years period of supervision.

August 2020

Former headmaster admits sexual abuse in Aberdeen and Thailand

A former headmaster has admitted subjecting a girl to a catalogue of sexual abuse in Aberdeen and Asia.

Arthur Hutchinson, 74, began targeting the victim when she was aged eight in Thailand, and continued when she moved to Scotland to pursue higher education.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard she did not resist as she was afraid Hutchinson would withdraw financial support from her family and stop her education.

Sentence was deferred until next month.

After an argument the victim went to see a counsellor in the city and revealed that she had been sexually abused.

Police were contacted and Hutchinson was arrested and a laptop and other equipment was seized from a flat he was renting.

Cybercrime experts recovered more than 1700 indecent photographs of the victim and a further 198 videos, 129 of which showed him raping her.

On Monday, Hutchinson admitted five charges when he appeared in court via a prison video link.

He pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the girl between December 2010 and May 2013 at a hotel and other properties in Thailand.

He also admitted sexually assaulting and raping the girl between May 2013 and May 2015 in the city of Ubon Ratchathani.

He also admitted sexually assaulting her and raping her in Thailand and Scotland between May 2013 and December last year after administering an intoxicating substance to her. He also admitted sexually assaulting and raping her over the same period when he carried out further sex acts on her.

Hutchinson also pleaded guilty to taking indecent photographs of the victim between September 2014 and January this year in Thailand and Scotland.

Hutchinson was a school teacher for more than 40 years and latterly was employed as the headmaster of a secondary school in West Yorkshire, before retiring in 2008.

The first offender went abroad to live two years later and settled in Thailand and began abusing the child.

The judge, Lord Fairley, deferred sentence on Hutchinson for the preparation of a background report, including a risk assessment.

He remanded Hutchinson in jail and placed him on the sex offenders register.