Banned teacher had indecent images and animal porn

A man has been banned from teaching after he was convicted of making indecent photographs of children and possessing pornography involving an animal.

Sean Rainforth, 37, was suspended from the Priory School in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, in August 2020 after being arrested by police a month earlier. He resigned in January 2022.

On 11 April 2022 at St Albans Crown Court he was convicted on three counts of making indecent photographs of children and one count of possession of extreme pornographic images involving an animal.

He was sentenced to a community order for two years, had a laptop destroyed and was given a sexual harm prevention order for five years.

A panel from the Teaching Regulation Agency said Rainforth had admitted the conviction in a letter and signed a statement of agreed facts ahead of them considering his case.

The report said that shortly before his resignation he had been told by officers they had found 43 category A, B and C images on devices belonging to him.

When considering mitigating factors the panel heard the teacher had sought support for "unhealthy lifestyle habits" and previously had an unblemished record.

The panel found that Rainforth's conduct "fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession".

He was banned from teaching indefinitely with no opportunity to apply for his eligibility to teach to be restored.

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