Alexander Westwood: Sex Education actor accused of sexually assaulting children during acting lessons
An actor has been accused of sexually assaulting children, including forcing them to read Shakespeare naked in acting classes.
Alexander Westwood, 24, appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Monday (November 11), is known for his roles in Sex Education and Outlawed. He was charged with a raft of sexual crimes against two children, a boy and a girl, and pupils in his acting class.
Westwood's alleged criminality stretches back to before he was 10 years old and includes 10 charges of sexual abuse of a girl over seven years. Whilst giving acting classes to budding actresses, Westwood allegedly forced them to recite Shakespeare naked and engaging in naked role-play scenarios.
Prosecutor Andrew Wallace told the jury: "Alexander Westwood is an actor. He is a supreme manipulator. All these charges have a common theme, of inappropriate touching and predatory behaviour. The 10 indictments concerning a girl, the first charge is on the date of his 10th birthday, that is the date because there is no criminality before this age."
Mr Wallace explained abuse of a girl in a Walsall home included vile actions which numbered more than the 10 charges relating to her. He said: "If we were to list every instance there would be hundreds of charges."
After appearing on screen, Westwood is accused of using his stardom to manipulate pupils whilst giving acting lessons. One pupil accused him of sexual deviancy, and controlling behaviour, often telling her mother "she should be admitted to a psychiatric hospital because she is going off the rails".
Mr Wallace added: "Then when giving acting lessons, he again used this as an opportunity to touch his pupils inappropriately. "These are schoolgirls we are talking about, teenagers. Imagine asking Dame Judy Dench to recite Hamlet naked, she would tell you where to go."
Westwood denies all charges, claiming his alleged victims have various motivations to falsely accuse him.