A FORMER Machynlleth teacher is in jail this afternoon after he admitted indecently assaulting 24 young girls.

Gordon Fleming, 66, made his first appearance at Swansea Crown Court before Judge Geraint Walters for a plea and case management hearing.

He admitted indecent assault on 24 different girls, all when they were aged under 13, in historic cases.

It emerged that Fleming had been jailed for three years in 1992 for similar offences, but against different girls.

Fleming, now of 1 The Mews, Burma Road, Park Hall in Oswestry, was told he would receive a substantial jail sentence.

Judge Walters refused to grant him bail until a sentencing hearing on 9 May.

“You systematically sexually abused no fewer than 24 young girls,” he said. “Now that you have pleaded guilty you are in a very different position.”

Robin Rouch, prosecuting, said Fleming had once faced more than 60 charges. They had been reduced to 24 to represent one charge for each girl, but he said he wanted to make it clear that the pleas were on the basis of all the offending as described by the victims.

They reflected all and not just some of what the girls had complained of in their statements to the police, he added.

Mr Rouch said the prosecution had yet to complete victim impact statements on behalf of all of the girls.

Fleming’s barrister, Dyfed Thomas, said he accepted that a prison sentence “of some length” would follow and there was no point in asking for a pre-sentence report that might recommend something other than jail.

Judge Walters ordered Fleming to register with the police as a sex offender.

As he was led to the cells below the court Fleming blew a kiss to his wife, who was sitting in the public gallery.