4 hours ago
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West Midlands Police
Alexander Westwood appeared as an unnamed student in 17 episodes of Sex Education
An actor who appeared in Netflix series Sex Education has been jailed for sex offences, including raping a schoolgirl who came to him for acting lessons.
Alexander Westwood was convicted of 26 crimes against children and two pupils who attended his acting tuition, with one child being targeted over eight years
The 24-year-old, of Shropshire, was described in court as "manipulative and predatory" and jurors were told his repeated offending against five victims was "a habit, a lifestyle".
Sentencing Westwood to 15 and a half years custody at Wolverhampton Crown Court, Judge Neil Chawla said he used his minor celebrity status to prey on impressionable, innocent, young girls.
Prosecutors said Westwood started to abuse his youngest victim when she was six years old and he was 10 years old.
Westwood was found guilty in December of sexual offences against the young child, a boy aged 9-10, two teenage girls who came to him for help with acting, and a woman.
Judge Chawla said that Westwood's "campaign of sexual offending" had spanned just over a decade and had had "devastating consequences for the five victims".
Between November 2020 and September 2021, Westwood raped and sexually assaulted an acting student who had lessons with him, as well as inciting her to engage in sexual activity.
The student said in her testimony that she was made to strip while doing a monologue by Ophelia from Hamlet, and that he would tell her to "do what your teacher says".
Westwood's sentences for 11 of the 26 counts were reduced by half because he was a minor, aged 10 to 17, when the offences were committed.
