A former children’s presenter has been jailed for abusing a boy after the victim told how his sexual assaults have caused him 50 years of misery.

John Earle was deputy headmaster of a boarding school in the 1950s and 60s when he sexually assaulted Ian Peters from the age of nine.

He went on to present three children’s programmes on the BBC and to tell stories on Jackanory before settling down to a career as an adventure leader and author.

Earle carried out the abuse when he was in his 20s and teaching at his father’s small private boarding school at Okehampton, where he had enormous power over children, who could be beaten for even minor offences.

He is now 87 and his secret remained hidden until victim Iain Peters, aged 69, finally went to the police in 2014. It sparked an inquiry which led to Earle admitting that he abused the boy over four years.

Mr Peters has waived his right to anonymity and told of his ordeal in a moving interview broadcast by Channel Four News in which he told how the abuse destroyed his self esteem and ruined his adult life.

Earle, of Upton Pyne, near Exeter , admitted six counts of indecent assault and was jailed for four years by Judge Erik Salomonsen at Exeter Crown Court.

He told him: ’These are specimen charges which reflect the many occasions on which you abused the young victim from the age of nine to 13.

’He had no knowledge of sexual matters. You took him from his dormitory and made him masturbate you and afterwards behaved as if nothing untoward had occurred.

’Your conduct has had a profound effect on him throughout his life. His impact statement describes feelings of extreme shame, fear and insecurity for over 50 years and a mistrust of authority and institutions which blighted his education and working life.

’You have expressed profound regret and described your conduct as an appalling breach of trust and inexcusable behaviour.

’Since the closure of the school you have lived a blameless life and many have spoken of your good qualities of integrity and professionalism. I have also read about your poor health.

’I have to take into account that while you have enjoyed many years of a productive and happy life with your family, your victim has not been so lucky.

’This was a gross breach of trust. You used a young child to satisfy your sexual needs on many occasions. It was your responsibility to educate and protect the boy.’

Mr Richard Crabb, prosecuting, said the abuse happened after the boy, who grew up in Kenya , was sent to board at Upton House in Okehampton in 1957 at the age of nine.

He said: ’Discipline at the school was strict and he found it a total contrast to his upbringing in Africa. After a while Earle started showing favouritism towards him and paying him special attention. Nowadays we call that grooming.

’Things developed further and one night, after lights out, Earle went to the boy’s dormitory and picked him up bodily from the bed and too him to his room."

Mr Crabb said the abuse carried on for years in Earle’s room or on his yacht at Dartmouth. On occasions he gave the boy hot buttered toast. He told him it was their little secret.

Mr Nicolas Gerasimidis, mitigating, said Earle had spent his life working with children while running an adventure centre and there have been no other complaints or suggestions of wrong doing.

He said this offending had been the only aberration in an otherwise blameless life and Earle is in such poor health he may not survive a prison sentence.

After the sentence Mr Peters released a statement through the police.

He said: ’The terrible burden of shame which caused me pain and blighted my life for 60 years has now been lifted. My sincere thanks to all those who have supported me to reach this outcome.

’While this case dealt with child sexual abuse committed a long time ago, there are far too many vulnerable children being still abused today and we - as a society - must work harder to stop this.

’The issue needs to be pressed as an urgent social problem with profound consequences. We have to try to understand why abusers pervert sexual power and do such terrible damage to children.

’I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of the police who worked on this case and I thank them for the superbly professional and sensitive way they treated me at all stages of the proceedings.

’Given how severely under-resourced this vital public service is, the police officers who investigated the crimes committed against me did a truly great job.

“Once I reported the abuse I suffered, I was able to go through expert counselling which transformed my life. Counselling allowed me to understand what had been done to me, so that after decades of painful shame and guilt I am now able to live freely for the first time since I was nine-years-old.

’I would assure other victims who want to come forward that the police were brilliantly supportive and that professional help can be hugely liberating for survivors of child sex abuse.’

Earle enjoyed a stellar career in children’s television after leaving Upton House when it closed in the mid 1960s.

He started as a presented on a short lived children’s programme called Treasure House between 1964 and 1965. and became a more familiar figure in the late 1960s as co presenter of the science show Tom-Tom from 1965 to 1970, where one of the other stars was a young Jan Leeming.

Earle went on to narrate three Jackanory stories during the show’s heyday in 1971, where other storytellers included Spike Milligan, Roy Kinnear, Brian Blessed and Milo O’Shea.

The Jackanory appearances marked the end of his broadcasting career and he moved on to buy a farm on Dartmoor which he converted into a moorland exploration centre with bunk rooms.

He ran the Dartmoor Expedition Centre at Rowden Farm, near Widecombe-in-the-Moor until it was sold last year, hosting countless groups of teenagers who were undertaking adventures with the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, the Princes Trust, and the Ten Tors challenge.

He became one of the leading experts on trekking on the moors and wrote guides entitled Walking on Dartmoor, Walking on Exmoor and the Quantocks, A Boot up Dartmoor Tors and A Boot up Dartmoor Rivers.

Upton House, which had 53 pupils, was owned and run by his father at the time but later merged with another school and moved to Highampton, near Okehampton, before closing.

The building which housed it is now a country house bed and breakfast and some of its former grounds are now a supermarket.

The police, Crown Prosecution Service, and NSPCC have all welcomed the outcome of Earle’s case.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Martin Pearse, from the Sexual Offences and Domestic Abuse Investigation Team at Bideford, said: ’The conviction and sentence in this matter is welcomed by the police and will offer some comfort to the victim who as a child was subjected to repeated serious sexual assaults by Earle over a prolonged period of time.

’During the time of the offences Earle was in a position of trust as a deputy headmaster at a private school. The victim has shown great strength in reporting this to us and throughout the lengthy investigation. He remains supported by partner agencies and he is now able to have some kind of closure.

’We hope this result will also provide reassurance to other victims of sexual offending, to help give them confidence to report, reassurance that their account is believed and wherever possible that suspects will be brought to justice and held to account for their actions.

’Should there be any others who have been affected by this case then I encourage them to come forward to report to this to the police.’

Mr Peters has respectively requested that he is not approached by the press or media in any form as neither his family nor Mr Peters will be making any further comment.

Alison Longhorn, from the CPS, said:’John Earle took advantage of his young victim for his own sexual gratification. He was charged with serious and prolonged abuse against one of the very people he had a duty of care for in his role as deputy head teacher. We worked closely with the police to build a strong case and faced with the evidence against him, Earle pleaded guilty.

’Earle’s offending has had a lifelong impact on his victim, to whom I would like to express my appreciation. Without him this prosecution would not have been possible. He has displayed immense courage during the investigation and prosecution of this case and I hope the sentence imposed today brings him some comfort.

’These offences took place more than 50 years ago but regardless of when crimes are committed the CPS will always prosecute when there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to do so.’

An NSPCC spokesperson said: ’Earle’s victim has had to live with the impact of these appalling attacks for the last six decades.

’Abuse robs children of their childhood and can have a lasting impact, well into adulthood, as this case shows.

’His victim has shown great courage in coming forward, sending a clear message that justice can be served no matter how much time has passed.

Any adult wishing to discuss concerns raised by this case or others can call the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000. Children and young people can call ChildLine on 0800 1111, or get help online at www.childline.org.uk.