Former teacher banned for life after downloading child abuse images
45-year-old Paul Welch taught at a school near Bristol
A former teacher has been banned from the profession for life after admitting downloading hundreds of child abuse images.
Paul Welch, who worked at a school near Bristol, also had a video of a pupil’s penis.
He pleaded guilty at the city’s crown court in 2022 to possessing indecent photos and was sentenced to a two-year community order with rehabilitation, 200 hours’ unpaid work and was made subject to a five-year sexual harm prevention order.
Now a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) professional conduct panel has permanently removed his right to teach.
The 45-year-old dad, who walked into Bridewell police station to confess, committed the offences over a 12-year period, the TRA hearing was told.
A total of 294 images, including 38 photos deemed to be in the most serious abuse Category A, were found on his personal laptop, along with a work laptop which had a video of a pupil’s penis when he was a teacher.
The 2022 crown court case heard Welch told police the youngster had complained about problems with his penis and that he advised the boy to take a photo of it on the school camera and claimed it had not been for his sexual gratification.
The TRA’s report, published on Friday, August 9, said: “There was no evidence to suggest that Welch was acting under extreme duress, and, in fact, the panel found Welch’s actions to be calculated and motivated.”
A witness who knew the ex-teacher told the hearing Welch had “exhibited regret, honesty, diligent self-examination, and reflection” and that his life had “irrevocably changed due to his actions” but said he had carried himself with “great grace through these changes”.
Another witness told the panel that they considered him to be of “comparatively miniscule threat to the community”.
But the report said: “The panel noted the comments made by the judge at Bristol Crown Court during sentencing, that ‘for every image you look at of an abused child, that child has been re-victimised’.
“The panel noted that it was clear from the sentencing remarks and the statements of Individual B and Witness A that Welch had considered the impact his actions had on himself and that he had reflected on his actions.
“However, the panel noted that there was an absence of reference to the impact Welch’s actions had on the children in the images in his evidence.
“The panel were, therefore, of the view that Welch had not shown appropriate remorse for his actions.”
The report said a prohibition order with no provisions for a review period was “proportionate and appropriate”.
“This means that Paul Welch is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth-form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England,” it said.
The decision also means he is not entitled to apply to restore his eligibility to teach.