Ex-teacher permanently barred over indecent images

An ex-teacher convicted for possessing indecent images of children has been permanently banned from the profession.

Paul Welch, 45, was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court in March 2022 of three counts of possessing an indecent photo or pseudo photo of a child.

Welch admitted his crimes to fellow staff at Gordano School in Portishead near Bristol and asked for help, in June 2020, after handing himself into the police.

According to a Teaching Regulation Authority (TRA) misconduct report, a panel found Mr Welch's actions were "calculated and motivated".

Welch, who was immediately suspended by the school when he admitted what he had done, downloaded 294 images, a report prepared for the panel said, including the most serious images known as Category A.

Welch pleaded guilty to all the charges at Bristol Magistrates Court on 22 February, 2022.

He was sentenced by His Honour Judge Paul Cook at Bristol Crown Court to a sexual harm prevention order for five years, 200 hours of unpaid work and a maximum of 35 days’ concurrent rehabilitation activity.

Two laptops were seized and he was barred from working in regulated activity relating to children.

The TRA panel, which published its findings on 9 August, noted the comments made by the Judge during sentencing, that “for every image you look at of an abused child, that child has been revictimised”.

A person, known as Individual B in the TRA report, who has known Mr Welch for three years, said in a written statement to the panel Mr Welch's "life has irrevocably changed due to his actions".

They added he has been "very open about his actions and has exhibited regret, honesty, diligent self-examination, and reflection".

However the panel found no evidence to suggest Mr Welch was acting under extreme duress, and were "of the view that he had not shown appropriate remorse for his actions".

Coming to a decision on whether to ban Welch from teaching permanently, the report said the public interest was important "despite the severity of the consequences for Mr Welch of prohibition".

"The panel was of the view that prohibition was both proportionate and appropriate," it added.

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