Sepsis killed paedophile teacher just two weeks after he was jailed for abusing Leeds boy
A paedophile teacher who was finally jailed for abusing a boy more than 50 years ago died from sepsis just two weeks into his prison sentence.
David Crowther, who has a history of abuse against children, was given his sentence in January for sexually assaulting a Leeds boys in his own home in the early 1970s.
But he died just 17 days later in HMP Leeds. He was 83-years-old.
A report into his death was recently published by the Prison and Probation Ombudsman, reporting that the sepsis was from an “unknown cause”, but said the clinical care he received was of a good standard.
Crowther had been invited to his victim’s home by the boy’s parents in 1972, with hopes their son would be accepted into the schools where Crowther taught.
During his trial at Leeds Crown Court, it was heard that Crowther got the 11-year-old boy alone in his bedroom while his parents were downstairs and sexually assaulted him, putting his hands down his trousers.
Crowther then returned downstairs as if nothing had happened.
The victim kept the abuse to himself until 2021, after he read that Crowther had been jailed for abusing other boys in the 1980s, so took the decision to tell police.
He was found guilty after a trial of inciting a child to commit an act of gross indecency and two indecent assaults against the 11-year-old boy.
Crowther was handed a new 28-month jail sentence on January 14 this year. He died on January 31.
The judge, Recorder Richard Thyne KC said that he was “quite satisfied” that Crowther’s motives were “not completely innocent” in going to the boy’s room.
The court heard that the boy had “felt guilty” for not speaking up sooner, and felt he could have save others from being abused.
But Recorder Thyne said: “He has nothing to feel guilty about. He demonstrated tremendous courage in coming forward when he did.”
Crowther, of Oakdale Crescent, Huddersfield had been sentenced to three years and seven months imprisonment in 2019 for sexually abusing two teenage boys he had befriended through a choir in the 1980s.