Latest Offenders

Description

A Hove man whose jobs gave him repeated access to children has been convicted of dozens of child sex offences.

Ian Silvester, 60, of Locks Hill in Portslade, worked as a Scout leader, childrens nurse, St Johns Ambulance worker, diving instructor, first aid trainer and babysitter over several decades.

He was also a registered nurse and registered childrens nurse, before being struck off by the Nursing and Midwifery Council in 2015.

Over a period of 25 years between 1986 and 2011 Silvester sexually assaulted 19 boys linked to several of his roles of trust, including the Scouts and his various businesses.

Many of the assaults took place under the guise of first aid training, during which Silvester would sexually touch his victims.

Following Silvesters arrest, digital devices were found containing more than two million media articles suggesting a sexual interest in young boys, including 68 indecent images of children.

He was subsequently charged and found guilty of 44 counts of indecent assault, 25 counts of non-penetrative sexual activity with a child, two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, two counts of sexual activity with a child under 13 and two counts of making an indecent image of a child.

At Lewes Crown Court on Wednesday (20 November), he was found guilty of all charges.

He has been remanded in custody to await sentencing at the same court on 7 February, 2025.

Description

A former head teacher molested a young girl and then told her not to tell anyone as "everything would go wrong".

In what was described as a "spectacular fall from grace", Anil Gaind also tried to blame the child and later refuted her claim as to how long the indecent touching had lasted.

But at the 61-year-old Bearsted resident's sentencing last week (November 13), a judge told him whatever the length of time was, she had "lost her innocence" that night at his hands.

Gaind, of Button Lane, subsequently pleaded guilty to sexual assault. The offence was not related to his teaching role.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the paedophile touched the girl inappropriately over clothing.

But on deciding he could be spared jail, Judge Julian Smith highlighted the "sinister and chilling" aspects of the abuse, which was reported in March last year.

0:07
/
0:09
Private school scraps plans to leave historic site for housing
Watch More
He told Gaind that his warped behaviour "brings to an end your good name and good character".

Describing his former career as "impressive and successful", the judge added: "It amounts to a spectacular fall from grace, and for your victim, a life-changing loss of confidence and certainty.

"I think you understand the consequence (of what you did) but I don't think you understand why and there is a good deal to be done by you and for you before you reach an understanding.

"There is always a concern that until you do understand what drove you to behave in this appalling way you remain a risk."

Of the offence itself, Judge Smith continued: "You gave her a massage. But it went on from that and became something far more sinister.

"You say it wasn't for as long as she estimated but that doesn't matter. Whether 20 minutes, five minutes or half-an-hour, that loss of innocence and loss of trust occurred that night.

"She froze and, in a frankly chilling phrase, she said she 'let you finish'. She told you it was wrong and she was going to tell her mum.

"You asked her not to because you said 'everything would go wrong.' You put the blame on her for what you did and the consequences that followed from what you did.

"It was never her fault. None of this could ever be her fault. It was yours."

The court heard that following his arrest Gaind denied having any sexual attraction to children.

His teaching career, which was said to be a long-held ambition and realised in his 40s, came to an end due to ill health.

Referring to the significant impact the abuse had had on his victim, Gaind was told by Judge Smith that it should be "a matter of the most profound shame" for him.

However, he explained that immediate custody was not needed, having taken his background and character into consideration, as well as the help that could be offered to him by the probation service as opposed to a short spell behind bars.

Imposing a 10-month jail term suspended for 18 months, with conditions of a sex offender treatment programme, 30 rehabilitation activity requirements and 180 hours of unpaid work, Judge Smith concluded: "I am sure we will not see you in this court again."

Gaind will be barred indefinitely from working with children and vulnerable adults and subject to a sexual harm prevention order as well as sex offender notification requirements for 10 years.

Description

Women who were sexually assaulted in Medway and Swale by a man who falsely advertised as a professional masseur have seen the offender jailed.

Joseph Mooney stated he was qualified to give massages on his Facebook page but had created a fake certificate to support his predatory behaviour.

On 14 December 2020, Mooney contacted a victim who had liked his social media page and offered her a discounted treatment.

He arranged to visit her home address where she asked him to concentrate on her shoulders and back. Mooney’s massage became increasingly indecent, accompanied with lewd comments, and the victim told him to stop.

After he left, the incident was reported to the police and Mooney was subsequently arrested.

Bogus business

Investigators looked into his bogus business and further victims were identified. It became apparent Mooney had used his Facebook platform to target women and offered discounts under the guise of being a newly qualified masseur seeking to expand his business.

In each case, Mooney attended an address of their choice and, after starting the massage, went on to sexually assault the victims. Some of them were shown his false qualifications and a number of the women gained the impression he was sexually aroused during the treatment.

Following his arrest, Mooney showed his certificate to officers as proof of his professional qualifications, but this was quickly found to be falsified.

Charged

Mooney, of Woodgrange Gardens, Enfield, London, was later charged. At Maidstone Crown Court he pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault and possessing an article for use in a fraud.

On Tuesday 12 November 2024, the 44-year-old was sentenced to three years and four months' imprisonment. He will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely.

Description

A 20-year-old paedophile has been sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple child sexual abuse image offences.

Joshua Morris, 20, dob 22/05/2004, of Hogsmill Way in West Ewell, was sentenced on Wednesday 20 November at Guildford Crown Court for:

• Three offences of distributing an indecent photograph / pseudo-photograph of a child
• Three offences of making an indecent photograph / pseudo-photograph of a child
• One offence of taking an indecent photograph / pseudo-photograph of a child
• Possession of an extreme pornographic image involving an animal
• Breaching a sexual risk order

The investigation into Morris first began in 2021 after it was flagged by colleagues in the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command at the National Crime Agency that he had been linked to the online sharing and possession of child sexual abuse images.

Upon searching Morris’s electronic devices, indecent images of all categories were discovered. Baby and child clothing were also found in his bedroom.

In the three interviews conducted by officers with Morris, he either remained silent or answered no comment to all questions.

Whilst the investigation was ongoing, Morris was put under a sexual risk order (SRO), which he breached by continuing to look at child sexual abuse images online – he was further arrested and charged with these additional offences.

At sentencing, the Judge also handed Morris a ten-year sexual harm prevention order.

Investigating Officer, DC Connor Leney from our paedophile online investigation team (POLIT) said; “Joshua Morris is a predator who poses a serious risk to children through his online activities. We are pleased that he will now spend seven years in prison where he won’t be able to cause harm.

Description

A pervert with a "distorted attitude" has been described as a "danger to children". Philip Matthews ended up in court after Devon and Cornwall Police were alerted that he was downloading illegal content.

A search of his electronic devices revealed he had downloaded videos and images of children as young as six being raped. At a sentencing hearing at Truro Crown Court today (Wednesday, November 20), it was heard he had downloaded 74 Category A images, alongside 17 Category B images and 13 Category C images. Matthews was jailed for two years.

The most recent discovery happened while Matthews was already under police investigation for similar offences.

The court heard that Matthews, who has several convictions for 11 offences of making indecent images of children, received a two-year prison sentence in December 2016 when he offended again having received a suspended sentence the previous year.

In mitigation, Ryan Murray said Matthews, who pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children at a previous hearing, had become desensitised to paedophilia, having been exposed to unhealthy material from a young age, which led him to "have a distorted attitude towards such material".

Mr Murray said Matthews' addiction to indecent images of children found online had been fed by a sense of isolation. He told the court: "When he moved to Bodmin, he didn't know anyone. When the nature of his past became known it led to isolation. This is a man who struggles to fit in and operates on the margins of society. Isolation then feeds his addiction. He has also recently lost his mother who had been a source of support for him."

His Honour Judge Robert Linford said Matthews is a man with a "disturbing list of previous convictions" adding that on this occasion he was found with indecent images of children when he was already under police investigation for a similar offence. Judge Linford said Matthews had breached a suspended sentence and had been put on a sex offender treatment programme in the past designed to address the root cause of his offending.

He added: "The course you went on has been found to be unsustainable and increased your offending. However, whether you access images of children being abused is up to you. No one is making you do it. One would have thought that having had a scare a few years ago, you would have been careful not to do it again, but you did do it again.

"There is no prospect of rehabilitation for you. You are a danger to children. These images are images of real children as young as six being raped for the entertainment of people like you. If people like you didn't watch, others would not film it."

Matthews was sentenced to two years in prison. He will serve 40 per cent before being eligible for release on licence. A sexual harm prevention order for 10 years was also imposed. He will be on the sex offender register for 10 years.

Description

A man has been jailed for three years and nine months for sexual offences relating to a child.

Anthony Henderson, 62, of Francis Avenue, Withernsea, was sentenced at Hull Crown Court on 15 November.

Henderson previously pleaded guilty to causing a child to engage in a sexual act, meeting a child following grooming, causing a child to watch a sexual act and engaging in sexual communication with a child.

He has also been given a sexual harm prevention order and will be added to the sex offenders register for life.

In October, police received evidence of Henderson sending sexual messages to a fake profile of someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl.

He sent the profile sexually explicit content of himself and others and arranged to meet who he believed to be a young girl in a public place.

Det Sgt Frances Robinson said: “Henderson is a sexual predator and I’m pleased he is now behind bars and unable to continue with his attempts to target vulnerable people."

Description

THIS is the face of a man from the Cirencester area who sexually assaulted a young girl.

Gloucestershire police has released a photo of Lewis Davey, aged 51, who was jailed for sexual assault and voyeurism on Friday, October 25.

Davey, of Bowly Crescent, Siddington, was sentenced for sexually abusing a girl who was under the age of 13 in May last year.

He was also sentenced for an offence of voyeurism by observing a person engaging in a private act on the same day.

At Gloucester Crown Court, he was jailed for eight years, with an extended licence period of one year.

According to court documents, a special custodial sentence of imprisonment was imposed as Davey was deemed to be an 'offender of particular concern'.

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order lasting for 15 years from conviction was also imposed.

This bans Davey from unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 16 apart from his own children.

Exceptions include inadvertent contact and when contact is not reasonably avoidable in the course of daily life.

The other exception is if Davey has consent from a child’s parent or guardian, who has knowledge of his convictions and has received written consent from social services.

He was also added to the sex offenders register.

Davey faced two charges - sexually assaulting a girl aged under 13 and observing a person engaging in a private act.

He pleaded not guilty to both offences but was found guilty of both charges after a four-day trial at Gloucester Crown Court on Thursday, September 19.

Description

A violent rapist hit a woman while they were having sex. He refused to stop despite his victim begging and crying, and dragged her back to the bed when she tried to run away.

Curtis Green, 28, asked his victim for sex and after "nagging her" she initially gave consent, but while they were having sex he began to assault her. He became violent and struck the victim to the face with a closed fist.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday heard the violence continued as the victim begged Green to stop. She began to cry and the defendant told her to "shut up" and "Rhondda and Valley girls like sex like that".

The victim asked him to stop and he responded by laughing at her. He prevented her from trying to escape from the bedroom and dragged her back to the bed by her wrists. Green then hit her multiple times to the face, which the court heard made him "aroused".

Sentencing, Judge Eugene Egan said: "You were sexually turned on by the use of violence. You were powerfully built, fit and athletic... You brutalised the victim."

At one point the victim screamed and shouted at the top of her voice, which "spooked" Green who left the property, leaving in his underwear and his socks. She took photos of her injuries which were subsequently shown to the jury at the defendant's trial.

Green, of Rhiwgarn Road, Trebanog, Porth, denied one count of rape, claiming the sex had been consensual throughout and the victim had received no injuries. He was later found guilty by a jury.

In a victim personal statement read to the court by prosecutor Andrew Davies, the victim said: "I cannot begin to explain the devastation and all encompassing effect this abuse has had on my life. The abuse lasted less than an hour but the trauma will last me the rest of my life. I stand before you today a completely different person to the one had I never met Curtis Green. I have become lost and emotionally numb, this person took away my basic human rights.

"I feel like a prisoner in my own home... I have always been a happy and outgoing person but now I feel pressured, scared, unsafe, bedraggled and humiliated. I felt like my dignity disappeared all due to the fact of what Curtis Green did to me. I am constantly living on my nerves and have installed cameras... Since I have heard he's been remanded in custody I feel a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I have been fearful of repercussions from reporting this matter and vulnerable. I have never been a confident person in terms of how I look, I would even say I had body dysmorphia. When I was running naked I felt even more degraded and vulnerable...

"I have been struggling with my mental health, I've struggled to work and life has been turned upside down... Since the guilty verdict there has been no real change in how I feel. I will never forget how I was made to feel, whatever sentence is passed on Curtis Green, it will never erase my memories and emotions about what happened. I have issues with intimacy and refuse to trust people. I have struggled with this for years and thought about ending my life... I hated myself for feeling cowardly and it scared me to death, bringing back old feelings and memories. I was scared no-one would believe me. You couldn't admit what you did."

The court heard Green now has a partner and a son who is three years old, and that his own father walked out on his family at the same age, a fact which is "particularly galling" for him. It was said the defendant had a difficult childhood and a relative of his was murdered, which caused pain to the family.

Green was sentenced to a total of eight years imprisonment, of which he will serve two thirds before he is released on licence. He was also made subject to a restraining order and sex offender notification requirements indefinitely.

Description

A man has been jailed after attempting to kidnap two women in Walsall earlier this year.

On 28 February, a woman in her 20’s, was walking on Scarborough Road in the early hours of the morning when she was grabbed from behind by a man.

The man tried to get the woman into his car but she resisted his force.

During the struggle she was punched in the face and received swelling and bruising. She managed to break free and ran to the nearest home for help.

Four days later, on 2 March, a 17-year-old girl was walking along Hawes Road shortly before 11pm when she was approached by a man in a vehicle who attempted to coax her into it.

When she refused he got out of the vehicle then punched and kicked her and sexually assaulted her. She managed to escape and run to a nearby home for help. The girl alerted police by activating her emergency call feature on her mobile phone.

Both victims sustained facial and head injuries.

Officers obtained CCTV footage from both incidents which showed a black Audi pulling up beside both women.

We then linked this vehicle to Rambo Baeram, aged 25 and he was subsequently arrested.

During interview, he claimed he didn’t own the vehicle at the time of the offences and said he was at home sleeping.

However, both victims took part in an ID parade and identified Baeram as their attacker.

Baeram of Forrester Street, Walsall was then charged with two counts of attempt kidnap, two counts of assault and one count of sexual assault.

He was found guilty by a jury at an earlier trial and was sentenced to five years in prison at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 15 November.

He will also be placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Sergeant Carrie Stimpson from our Public Protection Unit said: “Baeram had no relationship to either of the victims - they were strangers, attacked on the streets when they should feel safe.

“These incidents were deeply concerning and we worked extremely hard to bring Baeram to justice.

“The women have been very brave throughout the whole process and were even forced to sit through a trial.

“I commend them for their courage.”

Description

A REPEAT sex offender who sent pictures of his privates to someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl is awaiting sentence.

Gordon Brown, 69, pleaded guilty to two charges of indecent behaviour towards a child aged between 13 and 16, who was in fact an adult, when he appeared from custody at Ayr Sheriff Court.

He admitted to causing an older child to look at a sexual image, as well as communicating indecently with an older child between August 11 and August 13 this year in Cumnock Road, Mauchline, with court papers stating that the conduct was carried out for sexual gratification, humiliating, distressing or alarming the victim.

Brown admitted sending sexual messages and attempting to meet a child in his car.

We previously reported his arrest in the Mauchline area - after he was stung by so-called 'paedophile hunters' online having made contact with a decoy profile posing as a child.

Procurator fiscal depute Craig Wainwright told the court Brown was committed for further examination and remanded in custody after bail was refused when he returned to court last week (November 11).

He said: "The witness is from Protect our Kids Online, the aim of the group is to keep children safe on social media.

"Prior to the dates of offending, he set up a profile on a dating app claiming to be 20 and called 'Rubie'. It used a picture of a female child, who was considerably younger.

"It lay dormant awaiting others to make contact.

"At 8.42pm on August 11 it was contacted by the accused using a profile named Gordon, the profile was of the accused standing topless. It said he was 68 and from Kilmarnock.

"He repeatedly told 'Rubie' 'she' was 'gorgeous'.

"He stated he was going for a shower and he was 'stripped naked' and 'getting cold'.

"During the exchange 'she' said 'she' was really 14-years-old. He stated 'If you weren't so young I could show you'."

The prosecutor added: "'She' said 'she' would not be able to see and didn't want to get in trouble.

"He said 'she' was gorgeous and offered to send a picture in his boxer shorts.

"The conversation moved to WhatsApp. During the exchange, he said he took images of himself after getting out the shower and asked if sending a pic 'would cheer her up'."

Brown replied saying 'it was up to you'. He told the profile 'I will let you see it', then sent an image of his erect penis.

Brown then sent an image of his lower half boxer shorts exposed and sent a further image.

Messages continued, with repeated references to him being naked and in the showers.

The fiscal depute added: "He sent other images of himself with his face visible and [privates] exposed.

"At no point did Rubie invite contact."

Brown was later reported to police and confessed to communicating with 'Rubie' during an interview with officers.

Representing Brown during the hearing, solicitor John Gallagher reserved any plea in mitigation given the nature of the offences ahead of criminal justice social work reports and a risk assessment being completed.

Sheriff Shirley Foran said: "You will be remanded in custody in the meantime.

"Regarding the nature of the offence you will be subject to the registration requirements of the sex offences legislation.

"The extent will be made known to you at final disposal."

He was returned to custody and is due to return to Ayr Sheriff Court at a later date.

Description

A "predatory" former Church of England vicar faces spending the rest of his life behind bars after he was sentenced for a third time for child sex offences.

Ifor Whittaker, 80, previously admitted rape and gross indecency of a young boy in the vestry of St John The Baptist Church in Sedlescombe, East Sussex, in the 1990s, where he served as a priest at the time under the name Colin Pritchard.

Whittaker was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of eight years, at Hove Crown Court on Tuesday 19 November.

He is already serving a 16-year-sentence for abusing a boy between 1987 and 1991 following a trial in 2018, and had previously been jailed for five years in 2008 for the abuse of two children in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, between 1979 to 1983.

The court previously heard that Whittaker had baptised the boy whom he later went on to abuse in the incident at the church.

Prosecutor Beverly Cripps previously told the court that the victim described to police being terrified during the attack and that he tried to bury the memories of what happened to him there but "it had come back to him in pieces over the years".

Sentencing him to a discretionary life sentence on Tuesday, Judge Gary Lucie said: "You are a predatory paedophile and have been for many years.

"I doubt that you will ever cease to be a serious danger to young boys but that risk cannot be reliably estimated at this time.

"In my judgment, the combination of offences is so serious that only custody can be justified, and for the reasons that I have already given the appropriate sentence in this case, on count 1, is a sentence of life imprisonment."

Judge Lucie told Whittaker: "You have been responsible for committing serious sexual offences against four young boys over a long period whilst abusing your position as a trusted member of the community as a vicar.

"This offending is of the most serious kind."

In a statement, the Diocese of Chichester, said: "The sentence passed today on Ifor Whittaker, formerly the Reverend Colin Pritchard, reflects the terrible nature of his crimes.

"The victim in this case has shown extraordinary courage in coming forward to report Whittaker’s crimes. We apologise unreservedly to him for the appalling abuse he suffered.

"We wish to acknowledge the excellent work of Sussex Police in this case. Our Safeguarding Team have been working closely with their detectives on this matter since it was reported.

"Mr Whittaker was convicted of child sexual offences in 2008, receiving a five-year prison sentence. He was sentenced again in 2018, again for child sexual offences, receiving a 16-year sentence. He is still serving that sentence in custody.

"Mr Whittaker’s offending, and the history of the Diocese of Chichester’s dealings with him, has been covered in numerous published reports including the Case Study for the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

"That history makes clear that there were a number of serious safeguarding errors made prior to his 2008 conviction, for which this Diocese has offered unreserved apologies and from which we continue to draw lessons for our current safeguarding practice.

"This case should remind us of the vital importance of prioritising the safety of children above any other consideration, listening to survivors of abuse, and ensuring that every concern is reported to the statutory authorities without delay."

The Diocese of Chichester referred Mr Whittaker to the Disclosure and Barring Service following his conviction in 2008. He was also barred for life from ordained ministry in the Church of England.

Description

A man who sexually abused children as young as six over a 35-year period has been jailed.

Steven Lee, 66, described by police as a "dangerous individual", was found guilty of abusing three girls between 1987 and 2022.

Lee, of Carlton Street, Featherstone, was jailed for 11 years at Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday.

Det Con Alison Hibbert said the victims and their families were "continuing to live with the mental toll of the abuse they have suffered".

Lee was found guilty of two counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14, two counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching and two counts of causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

He also pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching.

Lee was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and was made the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Description

A "warped" teenager has been jailed for raping two 16-year-old girls who were both walking home at night.

Nathan John, 19, attacked the girls 19 months and ten miles apart.

John was found guilty of three counts of rape and sexual assault at Swansea Crown Court.

He was sentenced to a 20-year extended sentence, made up of 16 years in custody in a young offenders institute and four years on licence.

The court heard he launched a "frenzy of sexual violence" in the darkness after the girls, who were making their way home after a night out, rejected his advances.

John denied the first rape in October 2022 in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, and the second in Haverfordwest in May 2024.

He met the first girl at Circles nightclub in Milford Haven where he kissed her but she "wasn't interested in anything else".

But he walked her home, before throwing her onto the ground, taking his trousers off and carrying out "a frenzy of sexual violence".

John was arrested and told police in interview that the girl had consented and was released under investigation.

But he was caught out when he launched the same attack on another girl 19 months later.

'Doesn't take no for an answer'

The victim was out with friends when John offered to walk home together.

He told her: "If you don't do it I'm going to kill you." He then raped her.

John again claimed the sex had been consensual.

Prosecutor James Hartson asked the jury to consider "the striking similarity between these two allegations, ten miles and 19 months apart, made by two young women who do not know each other".

"He's a man who is powerfully built," he said.

"When he decided he wanted sex, these two girls - isolated and alone - didn't stand a chance.

"This young man doesn’t take no for an answer."

John was further charged with two offences of making indecent images of children - one Category B and one Category C image and possessing an extreme pornographic image between July and September last year.

Judge Huw Rees told him: "These are undoubtedly serious offences. Two offences which included features of degradation and violence.

"Both were 16 years old. Both were lured in to isolation.

"You demeaned both of these girls and in the process you demeaned yourself as a human being," he said.

"You have a warped interest in sex.

"I readily find that you pose a danger to young girls and young women."

John must register as a sex offender for life. Both victims were granted lifelong restraining orders against him.

Description

A 20-year-old man has been handed a five-year custodial sentence after attempting to rape a woman in a car park.

Police received a call just after 03:15 BST on 22 June this year from a member of the public reporting that a woman in her 20s had been attacked in Boston and was at a McDonald's in Queen Street.

Officers attended and the victim confirmed the incident had taken place in the long stay car park on George Street.

Keith Lindop, of Station Street, Boston, pleaded guilty to a charge of attempted rape and a separate charge of actual bodily harm. He was sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on 15 November.

'Excessively violent'

Lindop will serve his sentence in a young offenders' institution. He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the Sex Offender's Register for life.

He was also handed a 24-week sentence for the charge of actual bodily harm, to run concurrently.

DC Sarah Oliver, the officer in charge of the case, said: "Lindop is a predatory and dangerous individual in the way that he watched and followed the victim.

"He was excessively violent during the attack. It was down to the courage and determination that the young woman showed in standing up to him that she managed to escape."

Boston Neighbourhood Policing’s Insp Ian Cotton said: "This really was excellent work from our officers, working all hours to bring this dangerous offender to justice.

"No woman should go through what this survivor did.

"Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority and there should be no hiding place for those who prey on women."

Description

A former teacher who failed to tell his school about his colleague's inappropriate relationship with a pupil, and was later convicted in court of having sex with an underage girl himself, has been banned from teaching for life.

A Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) hearing was told that Lian Laidlaw, previously known as Ian Featherstone, 44, did tell another pupil about the relationship between his colleague and a pupil but did not report it to Abbotsholme School, in East Staffordshire on the Derbyshire border, as a safeguarding concern.

In a statement of agreed facts, Mr Laidlaw admitted the allegations, which it was decided amounted to unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that could bring the profession into disrepute.

Mr Laidlaw was employed as a teacher and head of department at the Rocester school from September 2017 to July 2022. He attended a disciplinary meeting in respect of allegations that he disclosed confidential matters to a pupil related to his employment at the school on July 18, 2022, and was dismissed on July 28, 2022.

The hearing panel heard that Mr Laidlaw could have filed a safeguarding report about his suspicions about his colleague's inappropriate relationship as early June 2022, which he would be likely to know about because he had spent time with both the fellow teacher and the pupil and had a close relationship with the teacher. He also told another pupil about the relationship.

Mr Laidlaw had previously denied knowing anything about the relationship between the pair but later admitted he had lied at his disciplinary hearing in July 2022.

He himself was convicted of two counts of sexual activity with a pupil on November 2022 at Derby Crown Court. He was sentenced to a total of:

• 12 months imprisonment, suspended for two years
• rehabilitation activity for 55 days
• electronic monitoring for six months
• 200 hours of unpaid work
• 45 days on the sex offender programme
• 10 years on the sex offenders register
• A £156 surcharge

The hearing accepted the certificate of conviction as conclusive proof of the commission of these offences by Mr Laidlaw.

In banning Mr Laidlaw from teaching indefinitely, decision maker Sarah Buxcey said: "The findings of misconduct are extremely serious as they include a finding of failing to report a safeguarding concern, conduct found to be dishonest and to lack integrity and an offence involving sexual activity with a child. This was conduct that was, very clearly, at the most serious end of the spectrum, amounting to a breach of the trust placed in him as a teacher.

"Mr Lian Laidlaw is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England. Furthermore, in view of the seriousness of the allegations found proved against him, I have decided that Mr Laidlaw shall not be entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach."

Mr Laidlaw has a right of appeal to the King’s Bench Division of the High Court within 28 days from the date he is given notice of this order. Derbyshire Live has approached Abbotsholme School for comment.