Christopher Latimer jailed over child sex offences

Christopher Latimer preyed on the boy over a period of up to three years before a friend of the victim raised the alarm over messages being exchanged between the two.

Latimer - who worked as a gatekeeper, or caretaker, at Norwich School and was a leader at the 8th Norwich Sea Scouts - appeared at the city's crown court this week where he was sentenced to two years in prison.

A photograph of Christopher Latimer (Image: @ChrisLatimer06/ X) The court was told he was caught in May 2021, after his messages were reported.

Investigations discovered that the 36-year-old, of Meadow View Terrace, Marsham, had been sending the boy messages for between two to three years and in early 2021 had started to share sexually explicit content including messages, pictures and videos.

Latimer, who is also a leading figure in Norfolk archery, had joined Norwich School - where annual fees are £19,997 - in February that year.

Christopher Latimer was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years (Image: Norfolk Constabulary) A spokeswoman said he was immediately suspended after the school were made aware of the allegations and left its employment in June.

The spokeswoman said all the necessary checks had been made with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and full references taken, and that all had been clear.

She added: "As soon as the school was made aware of the allegations against Mr Latimer he was immediately suspended, all contact with pupils was removed and we cooperated with the relevant authorities throughout the formal process which ensued.

Christopher Latimer at a scouting event (Image: @8thNorwich/ X) "As ever, the health and wellbeing of our pupils is always our top priority and as part of this commitment the very small number of individuals in our community who have been directly affected, along with their families, have been offered appropriate support from out expert pastoral team both during their time at school and afterwards."

A former vice chairman of Norfolk Archery, in 2016 he was named as the leader of a new Norfolk training centre for the sport, opened by Archery GB.

He was also a leader at the 8th Norwich Sea Scouts, which is affiliated with Norwich School and is based next to it, on the banks of the River Wensum.

The group describes itself as "one of the oldest, largest and most active" in the UK, with more than 300 young people and adult members.

During his time as scout master, Latimer took the group on numerous trips, including overseas ones to Belgium and Holland.

In 2021, the year he was arrested, he received a 'Commissioner Commendation', to recognise members who have made a significant contribution to the scouting movement.

A spokesman from The Scouts Association said that they were aware of the case involving Christopher Latimer and had cooperated with the statutory authorities throughout the investigation.

He added: "The safety of young people in our care is our number one priority and we condemn the crimes committed by Latimer.

"He betrayed the trust put in him by young people and parents and there is no place for him in the Scout Movement.

"Latimer was suspended from all contact with Scouts as soon as we were made aware of his arrest and he will never again be able to volunteer with the Scout Movement.

"Everyone at Scouts works to a strict code of practice to put young people first."

At court, Latimer pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual communication with a child, causing a child to watch a sexual act and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

He denied two counts of taking indecent images of a child, which the court ordered to lie on file.

As well as his two-year prison sentence, he was issued with a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years.

Speaking after the sentencing, DC Steven Rush said: "Latimer abused a position of trust in order to build a relationship with his victim.

“He was well aware of the age of the boy he was talking to and ignored several safeguarding practices when committing these offences.

“I would like to commend the bravery of the young people who spoke up and assisted the police with their investigation.

"It was an incredibly difficult time for them and we could not have secured this outcome without them.

“I hope this sentence sends a message of how seriously these kinds of offences are taken and help bring some closure for the victim and his family.”