Former Hertfordshire Teacher Deborah Franklin Convicted of Gross Indecency

Deborah Franklin, a 65‑year‑old former teacher and private tutor from Radlett, Hertfordshire, was found guilty by a jury at St Albans Crown Court of eight counts of gross indecency. The offences involved tying a boy aged 9 to 12 to her bed, blindfolding him and engaging in repeated sexual activity during the 1990s.

Franklin denied the charges and claimed she could not remember tutoring the boy, but prosecutors said she regularly entered the child’s home and performed the acts at both his house and her own. Judge Kamran Choudhry remanded her in custody and indicated a high likelihood of imprisonment at sentencing scheduled for 1 October.