Sex Education Actor Alexander Westwood Jailed for 15 Years Over Sex Offences Against Children

Image credits: West Midlands Police

Alexander Westwood, a 24-year-old actor from Shropshire, has been jailed for 15 and a half years for committing 26 crimes against children, including rape and sexual assault. Westwood, who appeared in the Netflix series Sex Education and the BBC's Doctors, was found guilty of the offences in December. The court heard that Westwood used his minor celebrity status to prey on impressionable and innocent young girls, with one victim being targeted over a period of eight years. The judge described Westwood as "manipulative and predatory" and said that his repeated offending against five victims was "a habit, a lifestyle".

Westwood's abuse of his youngest victim started when she was six years old and he was 10, with the prosecutor describing the abuse as "the normalisation of sexual abuse". 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. He also forced pupils in his drama class to engage in role-play scenarios while naked, including one who was made to strip while reading a monologue by Ophelia from Hamlet. The court heard that Westwood's victims had suffered from panic attacks, claustrophobia, and anxiety since his abuse, with one victim saying that she had come to "despise everything to do with acting, even though it was my passion".

The case against Westwood was described as "devastating" by the judge, who said that the actor had displayed a "seemingly nonchalant attitude" that bordered on "arrogance". The prosecutor said that Westwood could have faced 77 counts against him, but it would have been "unwieldy" to prosecute so they were condensed down to 26. Westwood's sentences for 11 of the 26 counts were reduced by half because he was a minor when the offences were committed. The judge also issued restraining orders with regards to all five victims, and there was applause from the court when sentencing finished.

Westwood's victims have spoken out about the impact of his abuse, with one saying that she had suffered from anxiety and insomnia, and was on high-dose sleeping medication. Another victim said that she felt "afraid a lot of the time" and that her life had been "crippled" by Westwood's abuse. The victims have also spoken about Westwood's narcissism, with one saying that his "ego shone through" even while in the dock. The judge said that Westwood's role as an actor had enabled his behaviour, and that he had used his minor celebrity status to prey on vulnerable young girls.

The list of Westwood's offences includes: * 11 counts of rape * 7 counts of sexual assault * 4 counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity * 2 counts of sexual activity with a child * 2 counts of causing a child to watch a sexual act The court heard that Westwood's abuse had a profound impact on his victims, with many suffering from long-term psychological trauma. The case has raised concerns about the exploitation of young people in the entertainment industry, and the need for greater protection and support for victims of sexual abuse.