William Perkins

Convicted and sentenced. William Perkins, 30, a teacher who abused a girl aged 13 to 15 over the course of a year, was jailed for 14 years at Hull Crown Court after a jury convicted him of rape, eight counts of assault by penetration and sexual assault. He admitted some offences but denied the rape charges, forcing his victim to a trial.

Introduction

William Perkins is a 30-year-old man from Keyingham in East Yorkshire who was jailed for 14 years after being convicted of rape, eight counts of assault by penetration, and sexual assault against a child over the period of a year. A seven-day trial at Hull Crown Court concluded on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, with the jury finding Perkins guilty on the counts he had denied. Perkins, who was a teacher in a school at the time of the abuse — though none of his offending happened in the workplace — admitted to the allegations of sexual assault by penetration of a child but denied the rape of a girl between 13 and 15 years old and the sexual assault charge, forcing proceedings to trial. Following his sentencing, he was also ordered to remain on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Background Information

Perkins came to the attention of officers after Humberside Police received a report that a child had disclosed a series of sexual abuse that they had been subjected to by him. Following the report, Perkins was swiftly arrested and interviewed. He denied all allegations of rape throughout the investigation but admitted to the allegations of sexual assault by penetration of a child. Perkins was charged in June 2026 with rape, fifteen counts of sexual assault by penetration, and sexual assault. He pleaded guilty at an earlier court hearing to eight counts of assault by penetration but forced proceedings to trial by denying the charges of rape of a girl between 13 and 15 years old, and sexual assault; at trial he was found guilty by a jury on all remaining counts.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

The offences for which Perkins is serving his sentence were committed against a child over the period of a year, beginning with a disclosure to Humberside Police that set the investigation in motion. The case’s contested history — guilty pleas to eight counts of assault by penetration alongside a flat denial of the rape and sexual assault charges, and a seven-day trial that ended with convictions on every denied count — shaped the sentencing court’s view of the man before it. Detective Sergeant Addison Lloyd, leading the investigation, said: “Perkins was a teacher in a school at the time of the abuse; he held a position of trust and whilst none of his offending happened in the workplace he still violated this through his despicable actions.” Lloyd added: “Remarkably Perkins admitted to some child sexual offences but denied a sexual interest in children along with the allegations of rape.”

Public Reaction and Consequences

The sentence of 14 years, plus life on the Sex Offenders Register, was announced with the detective’s tribute to the child whose evidence carried the case. DS Addison Lloyd said: “I would like to start by highlighting the remarkable unwavering courage and bravery demonstrated by the child in this case; her commendable behaviour is in stark contrast to the despicable crimes that Perkins has committed,” and “His refusal to admit what he had done, led to the case being forced to trial, and this selfish act only extended the suffering for the child that he abused. I am incredibly grateful for all her and her families’ efforts, as without their vital evidence we would not have been able to bring Perkins in front of the courts.” Lloyd said the force takes all reports of sexual offences extremely seriously and will “continue to seek justice for those who have suffered at the hands of predators like Perkins.”

Current Status

Perkins, 30, is serving a 14-year sentence imposed following the jury’s verdict at Hull Crown Court on November 11, 2026, and is on the Sex Offenders Register for life. He was convicted of rape, eight counts of assault by penetration, and sexual assault; the eight assault-by-penetration counts had been admitted at an earlier hearing, with the remaining counts resolved by the jury at trial.

Impact on Their Career/Life

Perkins was working as a teacher when he abused the child, and the detective’s account of a position of trust violated — even though the offending itself happened outside the workplace — closes off any return to the profession: a rape conviction, a 14-year term, and lifetime registration follow him after release. The trial he forced his victim through, in the words of the officer who led the case, extended her suffering, and the jury’s verdict removed the denial that had been the last defense of his record. A man who spent his twenties teaching now enters his forties as a registered sex offender.

Sources

• The Yorkshire Post, “‘Despicable’ predator who sexually abused child jailed for 14 years,” November 13, 2026 — source