Sex offender is banned for life from teaching
Disgraced former assistant headteacher was jailed after targeting teenage girls
A PERVERT teacher who was jailed for having sex with pupils has been banned from teaching for life.
Former assistant headteacher and head of safeguarding Sean Aldridge, who taught at Warblington School, targeted the teenage girls between 2006 and 2012.
At Portsmouth Crown Court, the 39-year-old denied wrongdoing but was found guilty by a jury and jailed for 12 years in July 2019.
Now the Teaching Regulation Agency has banned him from working in schools, sixth forms, and children’s homes — and ruled he cannot appeal the ban unless he takes it to court within 28 days.
A panel considering his case said: ‘Mr Aldridge had been found guilty of 25 counts of sexual activity or causing/inciting girls across ages 13 to 17 to engage in sexual activity.
‘The panel was in no doubt that
Mr Aldridge’s misconduct was of the most serious kind and had been serious sexual misconduct.’
It added: ‘Mr Aldridge had been convicted of such serious sexual offences which were at the most serious end of the spectrum.’
Aldridge complained from his jail cell he wanted this latest action to be carried out in secret, and that if a hearing was to take place it would not be fair.
A hearing did not take place — instead he was banned at a private meeting, with the details published by the TRA on New Year’s Eve.
The panel considering his case said his crimes were ‘calculated and deliberate’.
It added his actions ‘undoubtedly caused significant hurt and suffering to pupils who had been placed in his care’.
Aldridge offered no mitigation and the panel added: ‘There was no indication from the documents before the panel that Mr Aldridge was remorseful or had shown insight into his conduct.’
The disgraced teacher, formerly of Edmund Road, Southsea, was found guilty of 24 charges of sexual activity with a child and a single charge of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity after a three-week trial.
Following his conviction, Aldridge’s barrister said he was ‘unable to deal’ with being surrounded by girls at school.
He had accused the victims of ‘getting their heads together’ and making up the story.
This was rejected by a jury who convicted him.
At sentencing, one of the girls said: ‘I gave my virginity to a guy who just wanted to get his kicks.
‘I felt dirty, abused, stupid and embarrassed. He wrapped up his abuse in a love story.’
She added: ‘He’s hurt me. I feel like damaged goods.’