A popular music teacher and radio DJ was jailed for twenty months on Friday for groping a nine year-old pupil during a school piano lesson and having a collection of child porn.
Jazz musician John Gowers, 52, a former host on Meridian FM, who complained on Facebook he was the victim of a "witch hunt", had also downloaded indecent images on his home computer.
Woolwich Crown Court heard Gowers, (pictured) of Great Water Farm Cottages, Ashurst, East Sussex, who forced the schoolboy to give evidence, finally confessed to a probation officer he did abuse the youngster.
He was the front man of the John Gowers Jazz Quartet, playing saxophone, clarinet and singing at clubs in the Home Counties and was heavily involved in public street performances during events and festivals.
Judge Andrew Lees told disgraced Gowers: "You have also admitted to a probation officer that you have been viewing child abuse images for ten years on your computer.
"It is clear, and you admit it, that you have an interest in young boys and your offending has gone further and not only have you look at these images you have gone on to act out your fantasies with a young boy.
"That offending was in breach of trust, you were his piano teacher trusted to give a proper piano lesson and not molest him, but you did molest him and did not have the courage to admit it.
"You have now admitted it to the probation service, but that is no comfort to the victim because he had to come to court and give evidence and has been molested, which is something he will remember for the rest of his life."
Gowers denied, but was convicted of two counts of sexually assaulting the boy on December 5, last year at the unnamed school in the London Borough of Lewisham.
Before the trial he pleaded guilty to four counts of possessing indecent images, which relate to sixteen at Level One - the lowest category - six at Level Two and one at Level Four.
The vile content was found on his home computer, which was seized and examined by police investigating the sexual assault allegation and revealed internet searches including: 'pre-teen boy nudity' and 'boy sex'.
On Friday prosecutor Mr. Patrick Moran told the court: "The offences are a gross breach of trust at a location where the child should have felt at his safest."
During the trial he told the jury: "Mr. Gowers was the boy's piano teacher and he was giving the boy a private piano lesson during the school lunch break.
"The defendant is alleged to have touched parts of the boy's body, his penis, his bottom and he touched them for several seconds, long enough for it to be no accident.
"The boy was fully clothed in school uniform and in the middle of playing a piece of music.
"Mr. Gowers said nothing and just kept his hand there and the boy felt very awkward, did not say anything and left after the lesson.
"That evening the boy told his mother, she contacted the school the next morning, and the police were informed.
"The defendant denied having touched the boy in the way described," explained Mr. Moran. "He said he remembered touching his leg, above the knee, but only because he was leaning over.
"He denied touching the boy's penis at all."
Gowers' lawyer Miss Lauren Soertsz told the court: "There is no dispute that Mr. Gowers was, for many years, a very good teacher and for many years taught at a prep school as someone who nurtured and encouraged youngsters' love of music.
"As he committed the offence he asked himself: 'What have I done?'
"It is rare to see an admission in a probation report following a trial and I ask the court to see it as a positive that Mr. Gowers has at a late stage been able to face up to his behaviour, his criminality.
"This is a man who has faced up to the darker aspect of his psyche."
The court heard Gowers has been drinking heavily and has two convictions for driving with excess alcohol.
"Alcohol has recently become more of a pressing problem for him and he is obviously an extremely troubled individual and the consumption of alcohol has been used for several years to suppress the darker recesses of his mind.
"He has lost his job, his reputation, his income, his home and the respect of others" added Miss Soertsz. "This is an offence that has considerable stigma to it and it has been reported in the press and has come to the attention of his mother, who he lives with."
The defendant received sixteen months imprisonment for the sexual assaults, plus a consecutive four months for possessing the child pornography.
Judge Lees made an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which restricts Gowers' contact with children and his internet use and he must sign the sex offenders register for ten years.
Miss Soertsz submitted the offence lasted only "eleven seconds" during twenty-five weeks of thirty minute lesson, but Judge Lees told Gowers: "It is not right to say the activity towards the young boy was minor.
"You were looking at images of naked and semi-naked pre-pubescent boys in various poses for ten years, boys that had been horrendously abused and that does cause harm and you need to understand that and I don't think you have until now."
Gowers was also made subject to an indefinite ban from working with children and vulnerable persons and was order to pay a £100 victim surcharge.
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