Teacher caught with child sex abuse pictures told he will never be allowed in a classroom

A paedophile teacher caught with a sick stash of child sex abuse pictures has been banned from the classroom. Peter Godfrey was working at a Shropshire school when police discovered he had been looking at the vile content online.

The 58-year-old even had extreme pornography involving an animal. Godfrey initially walked free from court but reoffended just one month later.

The sex offender left the area and travelled to a seaside resort, where he downloaded indecent images of youngsters. He was eventually jailed after being hauled back before a judge.

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A Teaching Regulation Agency panel has now said Godfrey breached teaching standards and his actions amounted to misconduct. The panel heard how Godfrey was a teacher at The White House School, Whitchurch, from September 2012.

Staffordshire Police arrested the convict on May 5, 2020. He confessed that any indecent images of children found on his electronic devices by officers 'belonged to him'.

A total of 41 prohibited images of children were uncovered on his devices, a court was told. Godfrey admitted three counts of making indecent images of children, one count of possession of extreme pornographic images and one count of possessing prohibited images of children.

He was handed a six-month sentence, suspended for two years, with 150 hours unpaid work, a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and a rehabilitation activity requirement on September 8, 2022. He was also told to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years when he appeared at Staffordshire Magistrates' Court.

The panel heard how Godfrey was arrested by police again on October 28, 2022. A report from the panel read: "Godfrey admitted that he had downloaded indecent images of children using a laptop.

"In using the laptop, which was capable of accessing the internet and storing images, Godfrey breached the terms of his sexual harm prevention order. Godfrey admitted to the police that he had saved the images of children on the USB stick, which was seized by the police.

"Godfrey admitted that he did not disclose to his offender manager that he was in possession of the laptop and USB stick." The sex offender admitted three counts of making indecent images of children and one count of breaching his sexual harm prevention order.

He was jailed for a total of 16 months at South Derbyshire Magistrates' Court on March 2, 2023. The report read: "The panel also noted from the sentencing remarks on March 2, 2023, that shortly after his initial convictions in respect of the first three allegations, Godfrey left the area to go to a seaside town, and used a laptop and a memory stick to download and retain indecent images of children, which demonstrated Godfrey’s tendency to repeat the behaviour and a clear disregard for his initial serious convictions."

Godfrey - who was said to have a 'strong work ethic' - stopped working at the school on August 12, 2020. He admitted the facts of the allegations put before him by the panel.

At a hearing in October, Godfrey was made subject to a prohibition order. It means he is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.

The report read: "The panel was of the view that prohibition was both proportionate and appropriate. The panel decided that the public interest considerations outweighed the interests of Godfrey.

"The serious offences including making indecent photographs of children and possessing prohibited images of children were significant factors in forming that opinion." The school closed down in March 2022.