Piano teacher sex offender
A Christchurch music teacher placed on the British sex offenders register is back home and seeking work as a pianist who ‘‘enjoys working with high school students’’.
Jeremy Woodside, 29, was arrested in England in January on suspicion of trying to engage a child in sexual communication over the internet. He was issued with a formal police caution and required to sign the register for two years, the Derby Telegraph reported. To get a police caution in Britain, the behaviour must be admitted.
Woodside left his job as organist and accompanist at Derbyshire’s prestigious Repton School – where fees cost more than NZ$16,000 a term – during the police inquiry.
Derbyshire Detective Inspector Graham Prince told the Derby Telegraph the ‘‘thorough investigation’’ found no evidence Woodside committed offences against children in the county. Woodside had left Britain, so relevant information was given to the local police where he now lived, Prince said. Any Britain-based criminal background checks, which are required for anyone working with children, would flag the police caution to any prospective employer beyond the two years.
However, because Woodside was not convicted of a crime, he was not placed on the New Zealand sex offender register. Canterbury district manager of the child sex offender register Kevin Holder said Woodside had been ‘‘upfront’’ and voluntarily came forward to police after arriving in the country, despite no legislation requiring him to do so.
Holder would speak to Woodside to discuss what employment plans he had before deciding what preventive steps to take.
‘‘If he was seeking employment where I believed there was a danger to a certain group of people or a person, I can justify that I would contact the employer and tell them of my fears and the reasons why I would have that fear. Obviously for some forms of employment you have to make declarations and if he didn’t do that he could be in a bit of trouble.’’
Based on what Woodside had been cautioned for, Holder said he wanted to speak to him for ‘‘preventative purposes’’.
In his online listing for piano accompanists, Woodside says he was head of keyboard, school organist and accompanist at Repton School until mid-2018. He was an organ scholar at Westminster Abbey and Wells Cathedral, Somerset.
‘‘Have great experience working with people of all ages and abilities, in particular singers. Enjoy working with high-school aged students,’’ the listing says.
He declined to comment when contacted by Stuff, but confirmed he had moved back to Christchurch.
‘‘I’m not actually going to talk to you about this. This is none of your business.’’
Woodside said he was not currently teaching and the listing was not proof he had work.
The listing was later changed to remove any reference to high-school aged students.
The former Christ’s College pupil worked for three years in Christchurch as an accompanist for Christchurch City Choir. He was assistant organist at the Anglican Cathedral for six years.
A Repton School spokesman told the Derby Telegraph Woodside left the school in February during the investigation.
‘‘The police investigation, now concluded, did not relate to any pupils or former pupils of Repton School.’’
Holder said children should never be left with strangers, with parents needing to take responsibility and look after their children. Schools and other agencies had police checks in place for anyone dealing with children.
‘‘It will go into a lot of details and things like this would come up.’’