A FORMER housemaster at a Jewish boarding school has today been found guilty of a catalogue of historic sex crimes against children.

Trevor Bolton denies having committed abuse against schoolboys while he was a French teacher at Carmel College in Wallingford between 1968 and 1988.

But a jury of seven women and five men unanimously found him guilty of 21 sexual offences committed against boys while he was at the school.

The panel will begin their deliberations again tomorrow morning on their verdicts in relation to three serious sexual assaults and one indecent assault.

Oxford Crown Court heard that that Bolton, now of Kestrel Way, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, would invite select groups of boys up to his private flat on campus, where he committed a variety of indecent assaults and acts of indecency against children.

One man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the jury that he first became close with Bolton because he was feeling homesick and started visiting his flat.

However, he said that quickly developed into him getting into Bolton’s bed when they were both naked.

Barry Gilbert, defending, branded some of the allegations ridiculous and said that the media storm surrounding the case had made other former pupils come forward with new allegations.

Mr Gilbert said that the 25 allegations did not add up because each victim was alleging a different form of abuse.

He added: "This has all the hallmarks of knowing Mr Bolton has been accused, knowing there have been suggestions about Mr Bolton's activities at the school, but no one knows exactly what and everyone is coming up with different things.

"When they come up with different things it doesn't hang together."

The trial continues.