TV weatherman Fred Talbot has been found guilty of indecently assaulting two schoolboys when he was a teacher.
Talbot (65), a regular on the floating weather map in Liverpool’s Albert Dock for ITV’s top-rating This Morning show, was said by the prosecution to be “a chancer” who used his “boundless energy” and “extrovert personality” to gain the affection and trust of his victims.
The jury at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court cleared him of assaulting three boys but found him guilty of assaults on two boys.
Talbot was said to have been “obsessed” with teenage boys throughout his teaching career and “could not help himself” around them when under the influence of drink.
Talbot was remanded in custody and to be sentenced on March 13th.
Judge Timothy Mort said he did not require pre-sentencing reports but told Talbot his sentence should start today bearing in mind his "abuse of trust".
Talbot was passive as the foreman read out the verdicts. He looked slightly surprised as he was told he was to be remanded in custody and nodded to the jurors before he left the dock.
Among the prosecution witnesses at the trial were Stone Roses singer Ian Brown who said Talbot gave masturbation practice as homework.
Brown said he remembered two or three biology lessons given by Talbot when he was an 11-year-old boy.
The witness said: “Very early at school, I would not have been there a long time, Mr Talbot asked all the class if any of us had ever masturbated.
“He went on to explain how to masturbate, how you should masturbate and the following lesson he asked who had masturbated.”
Brown said Talbot also showed a gay porn film in another class.
PA