'Fantastic' teacher is unmasked as paedophile who preyed on 16 boys

Andrew Kingsley, 23 - known as Olly - was caught after one victim's parents discovered messages on their 12-year-old son's computer and mobile phone and went to the police.

Another mother discovered her 14-year-old son wearing a silver thong and dressing gown and sitting in front of his computer.

At the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday, Kingsley pleaded guilty to a total of 31 charges alleging a variety of homosexual acts and the making and possession of indecent photos and using internet chatrooms to groom youngsters for sex.

A total of 16 youngsters were involved in Scotland and England.

The court heard how he begged youngsters in their early teens for sex.

Kingsley committed a serious sexual offence with one 15-year-old, watched on a webcam as he persuaded others to expose themselves, and engaged in sex acts with two boys.

He tried to meet others for sex but they failed to show up at meetings Kingsley arranged.

Kingsley, now of Alloa, was a highly respected and well-liked teacher at a school in Fife.

But he completed only one term of teaching before his double life was exposed last December.

The charges he faced yesterday go back to April 2007 and mostly cover the time when he was a student at the Royal Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow.

Kingsley was also involved with a number of youth drama groups and gave private singing lessons at his then home in Dunfermline, the court heard.

Advocate depute Gillian Wade, prosecuting, told how police raided the house and seized computer equipment, a mobile phone and sex aids.

As well as the online chat with the 12-year-old boy whose parents had contacted them, computer experts uncovered about 3,000 chat logs with sexual content, along with 80 indecent photographs and three video clips.

Ms Wade went on to describe how Kingsley told one teenage pupil that he wanted to take him into a soundproof room at the school and have sex with him.

Their conversation was interrupted when the depute head teacher walked in.

Kingsley had been sending the boy text messages and chatting to him over the internet since he was 12 - offering him sex as a birthday present.

Kingsley offered another boy a music lesson which he said would be "half-lesson, half-fun".

Another victim met Kingsley when he was musical director of a production of The Wizard of Oz.

The boy was about 14 when Kingsley asked to meet him and engage in a sex act - but the teenager did not keep the date.

Ms Wade told the court that Kingsley was respected by fellow teachers and pupils.

"He was described as being very approachable, helpful, funny and very dramatic," she said.

"According to other teachers and parents he had a good rapport with children and motivated them," she said.

One senior teacher at the Fife school, who refused to be named, said she regarded Kingsley as young, keen, energetic, fantastic and had a massive potential as a classroom practitioner.

"He captivated his audience and was larger than life," she said.

Ms Wade asked the court to take steps which could lead to an order for lifelong restriction.

"Victim impact statements indicate there may be ongoing consequences for some of the victims," she said.

Judge Lord Pentland said: "In the highly disturbing circumstances of the case I consider it would be quite appropriate."

The judge ordered background reports to determine the risk posed by Kingsley, who is due back in court in January.

Lord Pentland remanded him in custody until then and his name has been added to the sex offenders' register.