Derby Telegraph

Lifetime classroom ban handed to pervert teacher

FOR MAKING INDECENT IMAGES

- By ADAM TOMS adam.toms@reachplc.com

A FORMER maths teacher at a Derbyshire school has been banned from classrooms for life after being convicted of having child abuse pictures.

Allan Sharp, 36, was employed at Aldercar High School, Langley Mill, in 2017 and taught there until August 19, 2019, when he was arrested on suspicion of possessing and making indecent images of children following a police search of his home.

After officers identified a hard drive containing indecent images of children, Sharp was suspended by the school. Then on December 31, 2019, he resigned, and in January 2020, was charged by police.

On March 17, 2020, he was convicted of three offences of making indecent photograph­s or pseudo photograph­s of children at Nottingham Crown Court.

Sharp was then sentenced in July 2020 to a two-year community order, 80 hours of unpaid work, made subject of a rehabilita­tion activity requiremen­t, ordered to take part in a sexual offending group work programme, and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for five years.

Now, the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) disciplina­ry panel has

BAN IMPOSED AFTER CONVICTION

imposed a lifelong ban on Sharp, meaning he can never teach again.

The report said that the images appeared to have been kept from 2009 right up to Sharp’s arrest, and that they were of children aged between 13 and 14 years old.

There were also found to be multiple search terms within Sharp’s computer which, despite his denials, indicated that he had searched for the sorts of images of male children that he had downloaded.

The report said that Sharp’s conduct was “of the most serious nature”, and that his actions “were fundamenta­lly incompatib­le with his being a teacher”.

It added: “The nature and gravity of these offences was a matter of significan­t concern. There were particular­ly strong public interest considerat­ions in this case in terms of protecting the public, public confidence in the teaching profession and the declaring of proper standards of conduct in this case.

“Mr Allan Sharp is prohibited from teaching indefinite­ly and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodat­ion or children’s home in England.

“Furthermor­e, in view of the seriousnes­s of the allegation­s found proved against him, I have decided that Mr Allan Sharp shall not be entitled to apply for restoratio­n of his eligibilit­y to teach.”

A spokespers­on for Aldercar High School said: “Mr Sharp worked briefly for the school, leaving in 2019, and was not an employee of the school when any of the offences took place.”

 ?? ?? Allan Sharp taught maths at Aldercar High School from 2017 before being suspended in 2019
Allan Sharp taught maths at Aldercar High School from 2017 before being suspended in 2019

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