Leighton Morrison (49), Who Ran Three Dance Schools, Deemed ‘High Risk’ to Reoffend
CASTLEBAR, IRELAND – A former ballet teacher, Leighton Morrison, has been sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting two young girls and producing child sexual abuse material.
Morrison (49), of Woodfield, Tuam, Co. Galway, was sentenced at Castlebar Circuit Court on Thursday to eight years in prison, with the final year suspended. He ran three dance schools across County Mayo and County Galway.
Morrison pleaded guilty to six sample charges from a total of 13 offences committed between January 2023 and June 2024, including:
- Two counts of sexual assault against an eight-year-old girl and a nine-year-old girl.
- Exploitation of a child.
- Possession and production of child sexual abuse material.
The court heard that the accused made video recordings of the assaults on the children, aged eight and nine, in a costume storage room after making them wear inappropriate clothing.
Judge Eoin Garavan stated that it was “extremely aggravating” that Morrison had recorded the abuse for his own “deviant sexual gratification.” The judge added that Morrison would remain a paedophile, at “high risk of recidivism,” and a “grave danger to children.” A probation report confirmed this high risk of reoffending, stipulating he must never have unsupervised access to children again.
The abuse came to light in March 2024 after one girl’s father noticed a change in her behaviour following a ballet class. The child, whose awareness was enhanced by a school Stay Safe programme, later told her mother that Morrison had made her wear cut-out underwear and touched her inappropriately. Subsequent communication with another parent revealed that their daughter had also been sexually assaulted by Morrison, possibly a year earlier.
