Sex Education Star Convicted
Westwood compelled students in his drama class to perform Shakespeare and participate in role-playing exercises while undressed. He also recorded one aspiring actress nude on his iPad, then attempted to charge her family £18,000 when she began skipping his classes after he sexually assaulted her.
Court Case Details and Evidence Presented
A jury at Wolverhampton Crown Court found him guilty. During the trial, it was revealed that he repeatedly sexually assaulted one girl, attacked a boy, and raped a teenage actress. The earliest of the 26 sexual offenses occurred on his tenth birthday, which is considered the age of criminal responsibility in the UK.
Westwood, who had an obsession with pornography, also compelled a girl to consume his urine throughout a seven-year period of abuse. Andrew Wallace, the prosecutor, informed the court that all the charges against Westwood share a common theme of inappropriate touching and predatory behavior. The first of the ten indictments involving a girl dates back to the day of his tenth birthday, which is significant because no criminal behavior can occur before this age. One victim was ” coerced into performing highly inappropriate scenes,” while another was systematically abused as she pursued her aspiration of drama college.
The court was told that Westwood’s sexual offenses “became a way of life”. One student accused Westwood of both sexual misconduct and controlling behavior. Another victim, who claimed she was raped by Westwood, broke down in tears while recounting “the hell” of her experience with him. She recounted, “He would become very angry and restrain me by my wrists, forcing me to bite him to escape. He would ask me for sex, and when I refused, he persisted. I told him I was unhappy and didn’t want to, but he ignored my feelings. He would get furious, throw things, and often pinned me down so I couldn’t move. I had to bite him to get him to release me. He lied repeatedly, telling my mother that I needed psychiatric help.” The mother of another teenage victim mentioned that her daughter had attended lessons at Westwood’s apartment alone in 2021.
Westwood will be sentenced in February.