‘Sex Education’ actor Alexander Westwood jailed for sex offences

Alexander Westwood, an actor who appeared in Sex Education, has been jailed for sex offences.

The 24-year-old, who appeared as an unnamed student in multiple episodes of the Netflix show, was convicted of 26 crimes against children and two pupils who came to him for acting help.

Westwood, who also appeared in the BBC‘s Doctors, was sentenced to 15 and a half years custody at Wolverhampton Crown Court today (February 25), with Judge Neil Chawla saying that he used his status as a minor celebrity to prey on young girls. He was described as “manipulative and predatory” in court, with the judge adding, “You have failed to show any remorse and you have shown little or no insight into the impact of your offending had on your victims. The jury rejected your story of blaming the victims. You are a serial sexual offender and it became part of your lifestyle.”

In December, Westwood, from Albrighton, Shropshire, was found guilty of sexual offences against a young child, a boy aged between nine and 10, two teenage girls who were looking for help with acting, and a woman.

Three of Westwood’s female victims supported each other in court as they read statements about the effects of his abuse. One said that she’d had panic attacks since the abuse and had “come to despise everything to do with acting, even though it was my passion.”

Other victims spoke of dealing with low self-esteem, claustrophobia and anxiety.

Between November 2020 and September 2021, Westwood raped and sexually assaulted an acting student who had been taking lessons from him. Westwood talked to her about a sex scene from the film Frankie And Johnny and a masturbation scene from Bridgerton, and she was made to strip while doing a monologue by Ophelia from Hamlet.

Prosecutor Andrew Wallace told the court that Westwood threatened to go to the principal of the drama school she wanted to attend if she stopped her acting lessons with him, and made her sign a contract, telling her she’d owe him up to £18,000 or £36,000 if she broke it.

Westwood began abusing his youngest victim when he was 10 years old and she was six, while he forced another teenager to act out “inappropriate” scripts as he made her strip. Westwood also encouraged a 10-year-old boy to touch himself as part of a “game” when he was 18, and was “highly manipulative and controlling” towards a woman he held down “every few weeks,” despite her telling him she didn’t want to have sex.

Westwood could have faced 77 counts against him, but as it would have been “unwieldy” to prosecute they were cut down to 26. His sentences for 11 of the 26 counts were reduced by half due to him being a minor at the time he committed the offences.

The judge issued restraining orders against Westwood in regard to all five victims, and there was applause from the court after sentencing.

For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.

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