A former Bearsted principal is avoiding prison after pleading guilty to sexual assault

The former director molested a young girl and then told her not to tell anyone about it because “everything would go wrong.”

In what was described as a “spectacular fall from grace”, Anil Gaind also tried to shift the blame onto the child, but later denied her claims regarding the duration of the indecent touching.

But during the sentencing of the 61-year-old Bearsted woman’s case last week (November 13), the judge told him that regardless of the length of time, she “lost her innocence” at his hands that night.

Gaind, of Button Lane, subsequently pleaded guilty to sexual assault. The crime was unrelated to his role as a teacher.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the pedophile inappropriately touched the girl through her clothes.

But in deciding he could spare him prison, Judge Julian Smith highlighted the “sinister and chilling” aspects of the abuse, which was reported in March last year.

He told Gaind that his perverted behavior would “put an end to your good name and good character.”

Describing his previous career as “impressive and successful”, the judge added: “This amounts to a spectacular fall from grace and, in the victim’s case, a life-changing loss of self-confidence.

“I think you understand the consequences (of what you did), but I don’t think you understand why, and besides, there is a lot of work to be done by you and for you before you reach an agreement.

“There is always the fear that until you understand what led you to behave so appallingly, you will remain a threat.”

On the crime itself, Judge Smith continued: “You gave her a massage. But then it turned into something much more sinister.

“You say it didn’t take as long as she expected, but that doesn’t matter. Whether 20 minutes, five minutes, or half an hour, this loss of innocence and loss of trust occurred that night.

“She froze and honestly, blood-curdlingly, said she would ‘let you finish.’ She told you it was bad and she was going to tell her mom.

“You asked her not to do it because you said ‘everything would go wrong.’ You blame her for what you did and the consequences that resulted.

“It was never her fault. None of this can be her fault. It was yours.”

The court heard that after his arrest, Gaind denied being sexually attracted to children.

His teaching career, which was said to have been a long-held ambition which he realized in his forties, came to an end due to poor health.

Referring to the significant impact the abuse had on his victim, Judge Smith told Gaind it should be a “matter of deepest shame” for him.

However, he explained that immediate arrest was not necessary, taking into account his background and character, as well as the help that his probation officer could offer him instead of a short stay behind bars.

Imposing a 10-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months, with the terms of a sex offender treatment program, a requirement of 30 community rehabilitation classes and 180 hours of unpaid work, Judge Smith concluded: “I am sure we will not see each other in this court again. “

Gaind will be banned from working with children and vulnerable adults indefinitely and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order and sex offender notification requirements for 10 years.