Etchingham man charged with historic sex offences at Frewen College

Darren Turk, 53, of Fontridge Lane, Etchingham, is due to appear on bail at Hastings Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, July 1.

He is charged with a total of 14 offences, allegedly committed between 1996 and 2002 while he was a member of care staff and later head of care at Frewen College in Northiam.

They are as follows:

A charge of the rape of a boy in 2001, a charge of acts of indecency with the same boy between 2000 and 2001, and seven indecent assaults on the same boy between 2000 and 2001;

A charge of the rape of another boy in 2002;

Two charges of indecent assaults on another boy between 1997 and 2001;

A charge of indecent assault on another boy between 1996 and 1997;

A charge of indecent assault on another boy between 1996 and 2000.

The charges, authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service, follow an investigation by detectives from the East Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit.

Detectives emphasise that the charges relate to a period between 13 and 19 years ago, and do not involve any staff or pupils currently at the school.

Anyone who wishes to speak to the police in confidence concerning this investigation can contact [email protected] or call 101 at any time, quoting serial 486 of 4/6 and asking for Detective Constable Paula Melville.

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