Hornchurch paedophile choirmaster still teaching kids

Thomas Rodgers, a 44-year-old music teacher who is also the musical director of the Hornchurch Can't Sing choir, was found guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court in December of sexually abusing children aged five to seven and eight to 11. 

He is currently on bail until he is sentenced. 

A joint investigation by the Romford Recorder and MyLondon has revealed that despite now being a convicted child sex offender, he continues to teach music to kids from his home in Billericay. 

One of Rodgers’ victims said: “I have to wait another month knowing that he’s still teaching children, the impact that has mentally is traumatising.” 

Rodgers’ offences date back to the late 1990s when he was in his late teens and his victims were aged five to seven and eight to 11. 

A Met Police investigation was launched after his victims, now adults, came forward in January 2019.

Rodgers was arrested on February 10 2019 on suspicion of sexual assault and was charged by postal requisition in March 2023. 

In December a jury found him guilty of indecent assault on a boy aged eight to 11, and indecency with children aged eight to 11 and five to seven. 

Rodgers sexually abused children aged 5-7 and 8-11 (Image: Met Police)

He is now a convicted sex offender and is required to sign the sex offenders’ register. 

But the Romford Recorder received information suggesting that Rodgers is continuing to teach music at clients' homes and at his own address. 

On one morning we saw that on two separate occasions children armed with music sheets entered his home with their parents. 

His pupils include children who are similar in age to those that he sexually abused in the late 90s.   

One of Rodgers’ neighbours also said that she often sees pupils going into Rodgers’ home for lessons. 

“I have seen them coming up the drive,” she said. “I think there were some this morning.” 

We approached Rodgers for comment but did not get a reply at the time of publication. 

Rodgers' victims were told that no restriction orders have been put in place barring him from teaching children privately. 

“How can it happen in this way? The restriction orders should have been put in place to stop him being able to teach, something needs to be done about this loophole,” one of his victims said. 

Tom Rodgers taught at schools before moving to private tuition (Image: rodgersmusic.co.uk)Rodgers' website, which has now been deleted, stated that he previously taught at two schools before moving into private tuition. 

Unlike school teaching, private tutors are not currently required to have an enhanced DBS check which would flag if they have a criminal record or are banned from working with children.   

The private tuition industry has boomed in recent years but remains largely unregulated – with most tutors being private individuals who rely on word of mouth. 

In 2019 a private tutor from Wembley, Nicholas Fay, then 72, was jailed for a string of sexual offences he committed against young boys at his home.

In the same year then 70-year-old Peter John Hogan, a private maths tutor in Tooting, was jailed after it was revealed that he had preyed on teenage pupils for more than 20 years.

The Tutors Association, the UK's only professional body for tutors and tuition companies, has previously backed calls for a change in law which would require all tutors to have DBS checks. 

A government spokesperson said: “Parents can ask a self-employed tutor about their criminal record and to see their basic DBS check, which if provided by the tutor, will reveal any unspent criminal convictions and adult cautions.

"We are looking at ways to introduce eligibility for higher-level criminal record checks  for self-employed individuals working closely with children and vulnerable people.”