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A Birmingham grammar school teacher has received a suspended jail sentence after admitting making and possessing indecent images of children.
Oliver Downes, 40 and from Erdington, had also pleaded guilty in court to the production of a Class B drug, cannabis, following his arrest by police.
He had taught for more than 13 years at the prestigious Bishop Vesey Grammar School in Sutton Coldfield, a role which included him coaching rugby to pupils.
The teacher was suspended after the police investigation and he resigned from his post last July.
In a statement after the court case, a Bishop Vesey spokesman said: “The school has co-operated fully with the police. The offences relate to the former teacher’s behaviour outside of school and there is no evidence to suggest any child from the school was involved in any way.
“The member of staff was suspended and resigned on 18 July with immediate effect.”
Downes had appeared at Birmingham Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to nine counts of making indecent images of children and nine counts of possessing indecent images of children. He had also admitted production of a Class B drug, cannabis.
He received a 12 month jail sentence for making indecent images, suspended for two years, along with concurrent suspended sentences of nine months for possession of indecent images and two months for the drugs charge.
He was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work in the community. He was also ordered to attend a sex offenders’ work programme for 50 hours and was placed on a two-year supervision order.
Bishop Vesey is one of the oldest schools in the West Midlands, founded in the 16th Century. Today it caters for more than 900 pupils and has almost 100 full and part-time members of staff.
Downes, an avid football fan, had joined the school in 2001, having graduated from university in 1998.
He had previously been a student at King Edward VI School in Aston.
On his Facebook site, Downes describes himself as single and as ‘‘chilled, different, fun, intense, work that out.’’