Doctors star Alexander Westwood has been jailed for 15 years. (Image: BBC)
Alexander Westwood has been jailed for 15 years after he was convicted of 26 crimes, including against children and two pupils who attended his acting lessons.
The 24-year-old, who appeared in ‘s Doctors and ‘s , was sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Tuesday. His behaviour was described as “manipulative and predatory” and Judge Neil Chawla said Westwood used his minor celebrity status to prey on innocent young girls.
Westwood was found guilty of 26 sex offences in December against a young child, a boy aged between nine and 10, a woman and two teenage girls who had acting lessons from him.
Judge Chawla said his “campaign of sexual offending” had spanned over more than a decade and had “devastating consequences for the five victims”.
He said that Westwood had displayed a “nonchalant attitude” and “arrogance” during the trial. The actor, from Albrighton, Shropshire, also maintained that his victims were lying about the abuse.
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Alexander Westwood appeared in Doctors and Sex Education. (Image: SWNS)
The court heard abuse against his first victim started when she was just six years old and he was 10, with prosecutor Andrew Wallace saying it led to years of “the normalisation of sexual abuse”, which included touching her inappropriately and making her watch pornography.
He also encouraged a young boy to touch himself as part of a “game” when he was 10 and Westwood was 18, and was “highly manipulative and controlling” to another woman who he held down “every few weeks” despite the victim telling him she did not want to have sex.
The fourth victim, a schoolgirl who had acting lessons from him, was made to undress and act out sexualised scenes. Westwood raped her on at least three occasions.
The court heard that he told her to “do what your teacher says” and asked: “Do you trust me?” when she told him she was uncomfortable and did not want to do the scenes.
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Alexander Westwood was found guilty of 26 sex crimes. (Image: SWNS)
When she missed drama lessons following the abuse, Westwood introduced a contract that “tied her in” to 365 lessons. He said that if she broke the contract, he would bill her family up to £18,000 or £36,000. Mr Wallace said this was the biggest sign of how “manipulative and controlling” he was.
The fifth victim was also forced to act out “inappropriate” scripts, including a Greek incest scene and Westwood made her strip naked while he touched her.
Three of Westwood’s female victims were in court on Tuesday and supported each other as they read statements detailing the effect his abuse had on them.
His first victim, who suffered at least 36 separate assaults, told the court she had recurring nightmares of Westwood and has struggled with self-esteem, adding: “I have been violated my whole life when I should have been safe.”
Another victim said the abuse was “dehumanising” and left her struggling to form relationships and “constantly on edge”.
Ordering Westwood to serve at least two-thirds of his 15-and-a-half-year term in prison before he is eligible for parole, Judge Chawla also said he must spend four years on licence.
He was also handed a 26-year restraining order preventing him from contacting the five victims, and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.
Westwood said “thank you judge” after he was sentenced and ordered back down to the cells while those in the public gallery clapped.