A former teacher, Paul Welch, confessed to downloading hundreds of child abuse images and was found with indecent photos, including the most serious abuse Category A. He also had a video of a pupil’s body part on his work laptop. Welch was given a two-year community order, rehabilitation, and a sexual harm prevention order. The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) permanently stripped him of his teaching rights due to his calculated and motivated actions.
During the TRA hearing, it was revealed that Welch had committed the offenses over 12 years and went voluntarily to confess to the police, indicating the premeditated nature of his actions. Despite claims of regret and reflection, the panel found that he had not shown appropriate remorse for his actions, leading to the decision of a lifetime prohibition from teaching.
The judge’s remarks during sentencing emphasized the impact of viewing abuse images on the victims, highlighting the severity of Welch’s actions. The absence of appropriate remorse from Welch, along with the gravity of the offenses, led to the decision of a prohibition order with no review period, indicating that Welch is indefinitely banned from teaching.