The former boss of the government’s ‘orphan school’ academy trust has been found not guilty of historic child sex offences. Gareth Mason, 54, was formerly director of education at Delta Academies Trust, and went on to be CEO at the government-backed Falcon Education Academies Trust, set up to take over schools no-one else wanted. But he left the role and was later charged in 2023 with six counts of indecent assault and one count of attempting to commit an act of gross indecency. The incidents were alleged to have taken place in Wakefield between 2001 and 2002 and related to a girl who was aged under 16 at the time. Gareth Mason Mason denied wrongdoing. Following a five-day trial at Leeds Crown Court this month, a jury found him not guilty on all seven charges. He was discharged. Mason was chief executive of the Falcon Education Academies Trust until October 2020. The specialist trust was set up as part of a pilot by the government in 2019 to take over schools no one wants (SNOWs) in northern England. It was later given the go-ahead to expand nationwide. But in 2023 the announced the trust, which had taken on four schools, would be closing. Prior to his time at Falcon, Mason had served as an executive principal and then director of education at Delta Academies Trust, one of the largest trusts in the country.