Neil Foden, who was the Head of Ysgol Friars in North Wales when he committed shocking 19 offences over a four-year period between 2019 and 2023, was convicted following a trial in May.
The court heard how the 66-year-old had a “s*xual obsession with young teenage girls” and had been “determined” to satisfy his “perverted desires,” which included a urination fetish.
A police officer’s bodycam captured Foden’s arrest inside a room at the school in September 2023.
Footage shows him standing with his hands in his pockets as the officer tells him: “Mr Foden, unfortunately, I need to arrest you on suspicion of s*xual touching of a child and s*xual communications with a child.”
He replies “Right” before being read his rights, to which he just says: “Okay.” He would later be found guilty.
On Monday, July 1, he was sentenced to 17 years behind bars at Mold Crown Court. Judge Rhys Rowlands described Foden as a domineering and bombastic character who was looked up to by many, but “managed to hide a dreadful secret”.
Judge Rowlands told him: “Your behaviour was born out of your arrogant sense of your self-worth, such that you believed no-one would stand up to you. It is clear that you have no remorse. You have not shown an ounce of contrition for what you did and you have no insight into the undoubted very serious harm you have caused both to individual victims and to their families.”
“He exploited both my body and mind and I feel tired and constantly sick as a result,” one victim, who appeared in court to read a statement, said.
Another victim, who attended his sentencing in person, said: “I feel that when he made me go to court to give my evidence he wanted to hurt me for reporting him and, instead of justice, he wanted revenge.”
A statement made by a third girl abused by Foden was read to the court, in which she said: “I believed him when he said he loved me and I was the only one he wanted. What Mr Foden has done is evil. It’s hit me hard and I’ll never forgive him.”
During Foden’s trial, the court was shown a video of him holding hands with one of the girls, child A, as she sat in the back of his car, while he was in the driver’s seat.
Foden was convicted of pinching the thigh of child B and putting his hand under her clothing and of placing his hands at the top of child C’s inner thighs.
He was cleared of one count of sexual activity with a child, where he was alleged to have touched the bottom of child D.
