Teacher banned for discussing child abuse online

A head teacher who discussed the abuse of children on a fetish website has been banned from the profession for life.

Paul Brown, who taught at Bransgore Primary School on the Dorset-Hampshire border, had conversations with a person claiming to be a parent on the adult social network, a conduct panel found.

During the interactions with the individual, referred to as Person A, Brown described previously assaulting a child or children and discussed plans to meet their children for sexual activity.

Brown, who was his school's safeguarding lead, argued that references to previous sexual activity with children were "fantasy" and claimed he had no intention of meeting Person A's children.

The Teaching Regulation Agency panel heard Brown, who used the website during school hours, began communicating with Person A, who remained anonymous but claimed to be a mother of two girls.

Brown described engaging in sexual activity with a child or children and suggested meeting Person A with a view to engaging in sexual activity with her young daughters and the pair discussed plans to that effect.

During their conversations, Brown claimed to have had a similar relationship with a mother and her children in the past.

The panel heard Brown had been arrested in connection with offences relating to an online attempt to arrange for the sexual abuse of children in 2023.

No charges were brought and police took no further action.

Brown did not report Person A to the website or the police despite becoming aware that children may be at risk, the panel found.

He admitted all of the allegations but disputed aspects of the context and intent.

He said he believed Person A was a "fantasist" and said he fabricated stories about sexually abusing a child to encourage them to speak more openly about their own plans.

The panel ultimately found all of the allegations against Brown to be proven on the balance of probabilities.

It said he lacked remorse and failed to show an understanding of the risks his actions posed towards children.

The panel said it was "extremely concerned" his actions could be repeated.

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