Former private school teacher admits child sex offences involving pupils

Nick Baldock pleaded guilty to nine charges during a brief hearing at Crawley magistrates' court
Nick Baldock pleaded guilty to nine charges during a brief hearing at Crawley magistrates' court - Eddie Mitchell

A former teacher at a prestigious public school has admitted child sex offences involving pupils.

Nick Baldock, who taught history at Lancing College in West Sussex from 2017 to 2022, pleaded guilty to nine charges during a brief hearing at Crawley magistrates’ court.

The 46-year-old admitted sexually touching a male student and sharing indecent images of other pupils.

The Cambridge and Yale graduate, who lived on site at Lancing, spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth, address and guilty pleas.

A district judge heard a 177-page report had been compiled on Baldock who could be jailed for more than five years when he is sentenced at Lewes Crown Court next month.

The court heard Baldock admitted sexual assault by touching of a male student aged over 16 at the college in July 2022.

Baldock also admitted sharing indecent images of children using Telegram and WhatsApp, sharing details of college pupils including images and downloading indecent images of children between 2021 and 2022.

Maria Goptareva, prosecuting, told the court that Baldock committed the offences in his capacity as a teacher at Lancing College.

“The sexual assault is by touching of student,” Ms Goptareva said. “The sexual assault would fall into the category of an abuse of trust.”

District Judge Jack Triggs said Baldock would be required to supply his details for the sex offender register within three days.

“You’ve pleaded guilty and it will be for Lewes Crown Court to sentence you,” Judge Triggs said.

Baldock, who now lives in Lincolnshire, replied: “Thank you.”

Studied at Yale University

In his LinkedIn profile, Baldock says he studied at Yale University from 2003 to 2009 after getting a history BA from Cambridge.

His profile states: “Studied many and varied periods of history and quietly despaired of academia before producing the discursive, over-written but nonetheless interesting dissertation entitled ‘The Religious Imagination in British Popular Fiction and Society, 1900-1945’, under the guidance of Jay Winter (author of ‘The Great War and the British People’, etc).”

Baldock studied at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy before returning to the UK where he taught history at King Edward’s School in Birmingham for six months in 2016.

He was also an actor with Madcap Theatre Productions in 2013.

The Lancing College premises overlooking Brighton City Airport are a major landmark on the South Downs.

The mixed boarding and day school charges fees of up to £47,000 a year and counts Evelyn Waugh, the author, Sir David Hare, the playwright and Tony Bloom, chairman of Brighton and Hove Albion FC among its alumni.

Baldock pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault on a male over 16, two offences of publishing an obscene article using Telegram and WhatsApp, three charges of sharing pupil profile pictures through WhatsApp and three charges of downloading Category A, B and C indecent images of a child.

Baldock was arrested in December 2022 and is no longer employed at the college.

He will be sentenced next month.