A former teacher has been jailed for sexually abusing a young boy nearly 30 years ago.

Chris Pearson, who was a teenager at the time of the offences, denied the crimes but was convicted this week.

The Chatham resident was handed a seven-year sentence for abusing the nine-year-old in the 1990s.

Croydon Crown Court also heard how Pearson was previously head of music at Cobham Free School in Surrey.

But he'd lost his job there after being arrested on a suspicion of email “grooming” girls – although after being questioned no further action was taken on that matter.

He then got a job as a train guard with South Western Railway.

The married father-of-two was unanimously convicted of three counts of rape and one count of indecency with a child.

“He accepts he went too far in assisting two students..."

The jury found him not guilty of another count of indecency with a child.

Pearson, of Beaconsfield Road, graduated from Birmingham Conservatoire with a degree in music in 2002 and taught the subject at Longfield Academy near Gravesend, and was curriculum leader for performing arts at Bacon’s College, Rotherhithe.

He contested the charges, relating to offences between June 1995 and July 1997.

Judge Deborah Charles told Pearson: “You raped him repeatedly. In evidence in court he said he thought he had been raped on a dozen occasions.

“At the time you raped him he didn’t realise what you were doing to him was wrong.

You had groomed him under the guise of playing games, having to guess what music track was being played.

“He felt tormented mentally and the forfeit was a wrestling game, where you would put a hold on him, sitting on him and pulling his head back until he as screaming in agony and begging for mercy.

“There is no evidence or remorse, which the court could take into account. He had no axe to grind against you, there had been no falling out.”

In his victim impact statement, the complainant said coming forward was to rid himself of “the demons” which had “plagued his life” for 25 years.

He said he suffered “flashbacks” and “triggers” to childhood memories he would rather forget and spoke of “years of suffering” due to Pearson.

Prosecutor Richard Job told the jury Pearson was 15 to 16 years-old.

The complainant was not a relative, but would spend time with Pearson, initially for fun wrestling.

“The defendant would invite him up to his room to play with him, wrestling as WWF was very popular at the time. The defendant would try out his latest wrestling moves on the younger, weaker child,” added Mr Job.

The victim told the jury he was smaller than Pearson and would be “forced to submit” during the wrestling sessions and would “scream in agony”.

Pearson also enjoyed demanding the younger boy “beg for mercy” the court heard.

“The defendant took advantage of his youth and naivety, not appreciating the enormity of what was happening.

“In his teens the complainant recognised he had been abused and felt shame and disgust.”

The jury were told the complainant first revealed what happened in 2017 and the police were then informed.

Officers later interviewed Pearson. “He made a complete denial,” said the prosecutor.

Pearson, told the jury he had never been in trouble and was a man of good character. The judge questioned why there were no references from teacher colleagues, considering his professional academic background.

“Surrey Police investigated an allegation of grooming of schoolgirls via email. They were misguided and overly friendly and not sexual,” said Lucy Organ, defending.

“Mr Pearson was arrested and questioned and there was no further action.

“There were emails to females, aged 15 to 16, that were not sexual in nature.

"At the time you raped him he didn’t realise what you were doing to him was wrong. You had groomed him under the guise of playing games"

“They were inappropriate in their quantity and times, sent late at night and showing some favourability, like helping one pupil to become head girl.

“He accepts he went too far in assisting two students. He is not a teacher any longer, he lost his job in 2017.

“It is 25 years since the offending,” added Ms Organ.

She said he had established himself as a family man and has been able to lead a useful life, despite his offending as a youth.

She continued: “He was a child when the offences were committed, which is very hard to imagine when you have a man of 42 in front of you.

Pearson was ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for life; was barred from working with children and other vulnerable groups and told he must serve two-thirds of the sentence before he is eligible for parole.