David Tuohy , 83 , was found dead in the River Thames near his Oxford home just days before he was due to be sentenced for historic sexual assualts . A former headmaster who was found guilty of molesting boys as young as ten at a special needs school in the 1970s has been found dead just days before he was due to be sentenced . The body of David Tuohy , 83 , was found floating in the River Thames close to his home in Oxford earlier this week . He was due to be sentenced at Norfolk Crown Court on Monday after earlier being found guilty of 15 counts of sexual assault following a nine-day trial . He was in charge of Eccles Hall School , in Quidenham , Norfolk , in the 1970s when he carried out the indecent and serious sexual assaults against five pupils , who all had special needs and were under 13 . Norfolk police confirmed Tuohy had been found dead in the River Thames and said his death was being treated as 'unexplained but not suspicious ' . A spokesman said : 'Norfolk Constabulary can confirm 83-year-old David William Tuohy who was due to be sentenced after being found guilty of a string of sexual offences against pupils at an independent school has died . ' A Thames Valley Police spokesman said a body was reported in the water at around 6pm on Tuesday and the man was declared dead at the scene after being recovered by police divers . Officers had been called to the Osney Lock area of Oxford after a member of the public reported a bloodstain and a watch . Tuohy 's family and victims have been informed of his death , police confirmed . Last month , Norfolk Crown Court heard how Tuohy liked to discipline boys who came to the school from different parts of the UK and found themselves alone , isolated and separated from their families . He was also said to be 'obsessed with spanking ' and the prosecution said he had a 'particular deviant sexual fascination with the bottoms of very young boys . ' Prosecutor Andrew Shaw added : 'It was a boarding school which catered for children who had not thrived in mainstream education in areas all over the country - in today 's language we would say they had special educational or behavioural needs . 'They were separated from their families and plunged in to an unfamiliar environment . 'As one of the people charged with the duty of caring for these children , he abused the trust placed in him and used these children for his own sexual gratification . ' Detective Constable Faith Morris , from Norfolk Police , said Tuohy had used a position of 'absolute trust ' to abuse his victims . 'The fact Tuohy pleaded not guilty to all counts meant his victims were forced to relive the traumatic events which occurred all those years ago , ' she said of his trial . Tuohy was a headmaster at Eccles Hall in Quidenham , Norfolk , ( pictured ) in the 1970s when he indecently assaulted five pupils - all of whom had special needs and were aged under 13 . He was convicted of 15 charges . Tuohy was originally arrested in June last year and charged with four counts of indecent assault and four counts of buggery against one victim . Four further victims then came forward resulting in Tuohy being charged with a further 14 indecent assaults . All of the charges related to five boys , who were aged under 13 , between September 1972 and March 1983 . He was found not guilty of three of the indecent assault charges and the four buggery charges but convicted of the remaining 15 indecent assaults . The sex abuse came to light when one of the victims reported it to police , prompting other victims to come forward . Eccles Hall , which is now known as the New Eccles Hall School , is an independent day and boarding school in East Anglia for children aged seven to 18 . For confidential support call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90 , visit a local Samaritans branch or click here for details .
Headmaster was due to be sentenced next week for historic sex abuse . 83-year-old has been found dead in River Thames near to his Oxford home . David Tuohy convicted of 15 counts of indecent assault against young boys . He indecently assaulted five special needs pupils , under 13 , at Eccles Hall .