Eton College geography teacher, 49, made pupils 'freeze' and feel 'really uncomfortable' as he stroked their legs while sitting on their beds in the dark during night-time visits, sex assault trial hears

Matthew Mowbray, 49, is pictured outside Reading Crown Court in Berkshire yesterday

A former Eton College teacher made pupils 'freeze' and feel 'really uncomfortable' as he allegedly fondled them in the dark during night-time visits to their bedrooms, a court heard today.

Matthew Mowbray, 49, is accused at Reading Crown Court of entering boys' rooms late at night on the pretext of discussing schoolwork before touching them for his own 'sexual gratification'.

The former geography teacher at the prestigious all-boys' boarding school denies nine counts of sexual activity with a child against four boys and one girl over a period of several years.

The divorced father, who prosecutors said was 'renowned for taking many photographs of the students', has pleaded guilty to one count of voyeurism, downloading hundreds of indecent images of children.

He also admits superimposing pupils' faces on to the naked bodies of unknown children on his computer.

Today, one alleged victim described Mowbray's alleged late-night visits to his bedroom, saying he made physical contact on 'five to six occasions'.

In a witness statement read to jurors by prosecutor John Price QC, the boy said: 'He came into my room in the dark and sat on the bed beside me, the door closed after him and he sat and talked about general things.

'While he was doing so he would gently put his hand down on my thigh and knee and rub his hand up and down my thigh over and over.

Mowbray is a former teacher at the prestigious all-boys' boarding school Eton College

'I felt really uncomfortable and just froze. The room was dark, the curtains were shut, and the door was closed. He was in the room for about seven minutes which felt like a long time in the dark with him stroking my leg.

'The next time it happened in the same way ... I felt really uncomfortable and this time I decided to turn on my bedside light.

'But Mr Mowbray leaned over and turned it off again, saying something along the lines of 'light is bad for your eyes and won't help you get to sleep'. He stayed in the room in the dark for a while touching me and then said 'good night' and left.'

The boy said he 'wanted to shout out' to alert other pupils but 'felt I couldn't'.

Another boy said in a police interview played to the court: 'Occasionally he would rest a hand on my hip, that was something I did find uncomfortable.

'I wouldn't say 'get off me', I would just shift. It was not uncommon for him to rest a hand on my knees or thigh, over the bed covers.'

The boy added: 'I found his photographing everything a bit weird. He just took photographs all the time. It made me feel uncomfortable.'

Mowbray is accused at Reading Crown Court of sexual activity with children

Another alleged victim described in a police interview being 'really shocked and embarrassed' after Mowbray 'groped my bum with basically quite a forceful squeeze action', before trying to 'laugh it off'.

Mowbray, of Locks Heath, Southampton, was dismissed from his role at the £40,000 per-year school, near Windsor, in Berkshire, following his arrest. He is on bail.

He has admitted six counts of making indecent images of children and one count of voyeurism, jurors heard.

The voyeurism offence relates to a series of covertly filmed images showing a boy at the elite boarding school getting dressed.

Since 1945, five prime ministers have been educated at Eton, including Boris Johnson, while the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex also studied there.

The trial, before judge Heather Norton QC, which is listed for two weeks, continues.