British actor Alexander Westwood, known for his role in Netflix's Sex Education and BBC's Doctors, has been sentenced to 15 and a half years in prison for 26 sexual offences, including the rape of a 16-year-old girl. The sentence was handed down at Wolverhampton Crown Court following a trial which revealed details of the crimes.
Westwood was accused of sexually abusing teenage girls who came to him for acting lessons, and used his position as an actor to lure and manipulate victims. According to BBC News, the actor smiled as he described the acts in court.
The judge in the case described the actor's actions as a "campaign of sexual abuse" that lasted more than a decade, with "devastating consequences" for the victims. The judge also highlighted that Westwood used her “minor celebrity status” to “prey on impressionable and naive young girls under the guise of acting lessons,” as reported by The Independent.
During the trial, prosecutor Andrew Wallace described Alexander Westwood as a “predator” who “forced” teenagers to “act out the most inappropriate scenes”. One of the victims reported that the actor made her act out a masturbation scene from Bridgerton, and when his methods were questioned, he told her: “Do what your teacher says.”
The crimes occurred between 2020 and 2021, and one of the victims reported abuse that began when she was just six years old.
According to Wallace, the actor could have faced 77 charges, but it would have been “difficult” to prosecute him, so they were reduced to 26.
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