A music teacher who is serving a prison sentence for sexually abusing schoolgirls to satisfy his bizarre “water fetish” confessed to molesting another 16 victims today.

Michael Crombie, 75, formerly of Monkhams Avenue, Woodford Green, admitted exploiting his young pupils while teaching at two schools and in private lessons at his home between 1964 and 2007.

The choir leader and Rotary club member was locked up in 2010 after being convicted of indecently assaulting nine girls during the 90s. One of his fetishes was to watch and video his naked victims breathe underwater.

New victims started to emerge after he asked one of his former pupils for a reference and police were flooded with further complaints after his conviction.

Crombie was eventually charged with two counts of rape, two counts of sexual activity with a child and 73 charges of indecent assault relating to 29 young girls.

At the Old Bailey he pleaded guilty to 47 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual activity with a child relating to 16 victims between 1964 and 2007. The rest of the charges were left on the file after the prosecution accepted his pleas.

Judge Wendy Joseph told Crombie he should expect an additional sentence when he returns to court on January 25 next year.

Crombie was due for release in May after serving his five year sentence, which was reduced from seven years by the Court of Appeal.

Crombie had started giving private lessons after retiring from teaching at Wanstead High School, Redbridge Lane West, Wasntead and the former Beal Grammar School, Seven Kings.

The new allegations date back to 1964 at Beal Grammar School and involve Crombie putting his hands into the girls’ clothing, sexually assaulting them, touching and rubbing their back, chest and legs.