Wigan deputy head teacher banned from profession after raping girl

A primary school deputy head teacher, jailed for child sexual abuse offences including two counts of rape, has been barred from teaching.

Julie Morris, 46, the safeguarding lead at a school in Wigan, and her partner David Morris, of St Helens, filmed themselves raping a girl under 13.

In 2021, the teacher, of Hindley, was jailed for 13 years and four months.

A professional conduct panel has now banned her from the profession for life due to the gravity of her offences.

Morris worked at St George's Central Church of England Primary School in Wigan but the offences, which spanned three years, were not related to her employment.

David Morris admitted 34 offences and was jailed for 16 years, also in 2021.

The Teaching Regulation Agency's panel found Julie Morris's actions raised "obvious and significant public and child protection concerns" and were "fundamentally incompatible with her being a teacher".

The panel's report said: "The fact Ms Morris was also the safeguarding lead at her school makes her offending all the more shocking in that, whilst the designated point of contact for welfare and safety concerns at the school, she herself was engaged in abusing a child, albeit not one at the school."

It also found that "there is a real risk of Ms Morris repeating her offending behaviour" and noted her actions were "deliberate and sustained, and there was no evidence that she was acting under duress".

David Oatley, who made the decision to prohibit her from teaching, added in his report: "In view of the seriousness of the allegations found proved against her, I have decided that Ms Morris shall not be entitled to apply for restoration of her eligibility to teach."

Morris, who pleaded guilty to the offences, has a right of appeal to the King's Bench Division of the High Court within 28 days.

Liverpool Crown Court heard the videos showed her giggling as the abuse took place.

Honorary Recorder of Liverpool, Judge Andrew Menary, said, on sentencing, the case demonstrated "that human depravity really knows no depths".

Prosecutor John Wyn Williams said the couple met on dating app Plenty of Fish in 2016 after both had separated from their partners and the relationship "quickly became intensely sexual".

"The communication between them became graphic and depraved which led to some of their sexual fantasies becoming a reality," he said.

Mr Wyn Williams said the couple's "sordid secret" was revealed when police found a conversation about sexual abuse of children involving David Morris in a phone seized during a search warrant.

He was arrested but cautioned and released and a number of devices were seized, which showed the recordings of rape and sexual abuse.

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