'Educating Cardiff' teacher admits sexually assaulting 17-year-old AFTER denying it in the witness box

From the Newshound archive · first published 2 October 2026.

Gareth Ritter, 44, former assistant headteacher at Willows High School in Cardiff, reversed his plea to guilty partway through his trial at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court — this came just hours after he had sworn on oath that no kissing or touching of the teenager had taken place. The victim told the court that Ritter brought her to a Cardiff Bay flat on the false pretext of a brief property check, led her out onto a balcony to look at the view, and then groped and kissed her without her consent. He is due to be sentenced on 4 November.

The victim said she felt 'uncomfortable and trapped' and unable to move away during the assault.

Ritter had already admitted possessing and distributing indecent images of the then-teenager, taken consensually but shared without her knowledge.

She told the court she reported the sexual assault only after discovering her images had been found on his phone.