In 2018, the Offender Database recorded that 70-year-old Leslie Austin—of Netherstead Cottages, Morton Baggot—was jailed for five years for a “calculated and predatory” campaign of sexual abuse spanning four decades. Austin appeared at Warwick Crown Court where, following two trials and a retrial, he was found guilty of five counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual assault. It was reported that the investigation established Austin targeted four different girls, with victims as young as ten or 11, between the 1970s and 2016.
The investigation established that Austin’s offending only came to light after his final victim, an older teenager, reported him for sexually assaulting her during a driving lesson in 2016. The prosecution reported that Austin’s first victim, now a woman in her 50s, was targeted in the 1970s while visiting his home as a young schoolgirl. Warwick Crown Court heard that Austin repeatedly sought opportunities to be alone with his victims, including assaulting a ten-year-old friend of his daughter in the 1980s and a teenager getting dressed after a shower in the 1990s.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that three of the victims were forced to give evidence twice because a jury in the first trial failed to reach a unanimous verdict on all charges. The investigation established that Austin demonstrated a total lack of remorse, claiming the victims were “conspiring” against him with his ex-wife, a claim Judge Anthony Potter dismissed as “plainly nothing of the sort.” The prosecution reported that Austin was a “menace to females” who used mundane situations, such as brushing a child’s hair or offering driving tuition, to facilitate his sexual assaults.
Judge-led proceedings at Warwick Crown Court concluded with Austin being sentenced to five years in prison. For his actions in Morton Baggot and South Warwickshire and the “prolonged trauma” inflicted on four generations of victims, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for life. The judge noted that the courage of the victims in reliving their ordeals through two trials was the only reason this lifelong offender was finally brought to justice after 40 years of undetected activity.
Status and Statutory Requirements
For the records reported in Warwickshire and the West Midlands, the status of Leslie Austin as of April 10, 2026, was as follows:
- Custodial Status: RELEASED ON LICENCE (Sentenced to 5 years in 2018; served custodial term; currently under supervision).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active for life.
- SHPO Status: Subject to an INDEFINITE Sexual Harm Prevention Order (Including strict bans on providing any form of tuition or being alone with minors).
- DBS Status: Placed on the Barring List (Indefinite ban on working with children or vulnerable adults).
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Indecent assault x5; Sexual assault x1).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Warwick Crown Court; investigated by Warwickshire Police.
- Criminal Record: Offended over 40 years; Targeted victims aged 10 and 11; Assaulted a teenager during a driving lesson; Forced victims to testify twice in court.
- Origin: Morton Baggot, near Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Austin is managed as a high-risk registered sex offender within the Morton Baggot area. Due to the nature of his conduct—specifically his “serial targeting of young females across multiple decades” and his “misuse of trust and mentorship roles”—his management is a priority for the Warwickshire Police Public Protection Unit. Authorities state that his history of denying all culpability identifies him as an individual who requires the most intensive tier of statutory oversight to ensure he does not attempt to regain a position of authority over women or children.
As a registered sex offender for life, the 78-year-old’s details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that his lifetime barring from regulated activity is a vital safeguard to prevent him from ever again offering “driving lessons” or similar services to young people. Any change of residence in Warwickshire or elsewhere, or any attempt to contact his victims, will result in immediate arrest to ensure the ongoing safety of the public from a man who demonstrated a persistent and “menacing intent” toward females for nearly half a century.
QUESTION – Given that the offender was able to remain undetected for 40 years until he targeted a victim during a “driving lesson,” do you believe that “Private Tuition” providers should be legally required to undergo mandatory annual DBS checks and public registry registration?
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