Sex offender set to find out if he is to be jailed
Pervert: Glenn Stranex DISGRACED Co Down teacher Glenn Stranex who was allowed to remain in his post despite allegations of “inappropriate behaviour/physical contact with pupils”, will find out tomorrow if he is to be jailed for a series of sex offences.
The 53-year-old children’s author, teacher, hockey coach and umpire faces sentence on a total of 11 charges, on dates between September 1989 and September 2016.
They include two of child cruelty, one of voyeurism, seven of making indecent images of children and one of possessing 25 other indecent images of children.
Stranex, from Cairnsville Road in Bangor, had faced eight more serious charges, including the indecent assault of one girl, and inciting a second child to commit an act of gross indecency. However, they were allowed to “remain on the books” following his guilty pleas to the other charges.
Yesterday prosecution lawyer Laura Ievers revealed that the primary school teacher was reported to police by Social Services in September 2016 after he was suspended amid fresh allegations of inappropriate behaviour.
Stranex had already been subject to disciplinary proceedings in the past, and given a final warning, which remained on his file, although he “was allowed to teach, but conditionally”.
When police searched his classroom and home and took away a number of items, including computers, laptops and hard drives, Stranex told officers: “I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry.”
Ms Ievers told Belfast Crown Court that the guilty pleas from Stranex were “welcome pleas in a sensitive and detailed case”.
Counsel said the cruelty charges arose out of statements made by two former pupils, who detailed how, in one case he “behaved inappropriately towards” the child, then aged nine or 10.
In the second case, Stranex tried to “cultivate an inappropriate relationship” with the girl.
Defence QC Gavin Duffy said Stranex accepts he will be unable to return to his work as a teacher, but that by his guilty pleas he spared his two victims the “considerable burden of giving evidence”.