A jailed teacher from Cheshire has been banned from the profession after he was jailed for having sex with a boy.
Craig Slater was sanctioned by a professional conduct panel in September - 17 months after he was sentenced to five years and three months in prison, CheshireLive has reported.
The 41-year-old, who lived in Holland Street, Crewe, admitted a number of offences while he was employed as an IT teacher at Byrchall High School in Ashton-in-Makerfield. These were: five counts of sexual activity with a child; three counts of making indecent images of a child; engaging in sexual communication with a child; inciting a child to watch sexual activity; and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
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The court heard he made contact with his victim, a 15-year-old boy, on Grindr. He described himself as a 'sex-obsessed pervert' during conversations and later suggested the boy wear his school uniform when they met up.
It was said he groomed the boy in a 'highly effective manner' between June and November 2019. Despite the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, listing a false age on the app, WhatsApp messages retrieved from Slater's phone proved he knew the victim's true age before meeting him.
A report from the professional conduct panel stated that police had executed a warrant at an address on October 31, 2019. A mobile phone was seized from a 15-year-old boy.
The report states: "The phone was later examined and WhatsApp messages were recovered that were sexual in nature, contained sexual images and suggested that Mr Slater and the boy had engaged in sexual contact.
"On May 28, 2020, the boy disclosed that he had sexual intercourse with Mr Slater. The boy stated that Mr Slater was aware of his age.
"He explained that he met Mr Slater on an adult dating application, Grindr, and had initially told Mr Slater that he was 16 years old. However, he later admitted to Mr Slater that he was, in fact, 15 years old.
"Notwithstanding this, the boy and Mr Slater met on at least six occasions. Mr Slater was arrested on May 28, 2020, and was later charged."
The panel recommended to the Secretary of State for Education that Slater should be prohibited from teaching indefinitely. The recommendation was accepted.
The findings read: "The panel found that Mr Slater’s conduct was at the most serious end of the spectrum. The evidence contained within the bundle relating to Mr Slater’s conduct was disturbing and caused the panel significant concern.
"Furthermore, for the reasons referred to above, the panel did not consider that Mr Slater had demonstrated significant insight or remorse and it was concerned about the risk of repetition. The panel did not therefore believe that Mr Slater should be allowed to teach again.
"The panel decided that the findings indicated a situation in which a review period would not be appropriate and decided that it would be proportionate, in all the circumstances, for the prohibition order to be recommended without provisions for a review period."
The order forbids him from teaching in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England. He has the right to appeal to the King's Bench Division of the High Court within 28 days from the date he is given notice of the order.
When he was jailed, the court heard Slater, 40, groomed the boy in a 'sophisticated and highly effective manner' between June and November 2019.
Despite the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, listing his age as 18 on the app, sick Whatsapp messages retrieved from Slater's phone proved that he knew his true age before meeting him.
In the depraved conversations, Slater described himself as a "sex-obsessed pervert" and said it wouldn't be a problem if the boy turned up to one of their meetings in his school uniform.
Slater used a fake name - Andrew Spilter - and would often sexualise regular conversations. When the boy expressed his reservations, he said: "It makes me feel like I'm coercing you into it."
Slater, who was in an open relationship, also told the boy that he wouldn't be telling his partner about their relationship because it was "technically naughty".
Upon telling Slater when his 16th birthday was, he told the boy: "I don't want to wait until then."
Slater bought his victim gifts, suggested he could book them a hotel room, and on at least one occasion sent a lengthy message indicating that he had romantic feelings for him.
They swapped explicit photographs and videos and eventually met up for sexual activity on three occasions.
Police became aware of Slater's crimes in May 2020, when the boy named him during enquiries into an unrelated matter. Officers seized Slater's phone and he was arrested.
On his phone, there were 19 indecent images of the boy - one category A, two category B and 16 category C.
During his police interview, Slater told police that he had believed the boy was 18-years-old, because of his Grindr profile.
He also told officers that he didn't believe that the boy was actually 15 and thought that it was just "fantasy".
Slater admitted that he was attracted to "young trendy guys", aged between 17 and early 20s, and when asked about one of the occasions he had sex, he said: "It wasn't my finest hour."
He pleaded guilty at the first opportunity to five counts of sexual activity with a child, three counts of possessing indecent images of a child, engaging in sexual communication with a child, inciting a child to watch sexual activity, and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
Defending, Simon Gurney told the court that for the first two months of their communication, Slater was not aware of the boy's the age and by the time he'd found out, they were already in an "emotional and affectionate" relationship.
He added: "That is not an excuse and he should have put a stop to it once he learnt."
Mr Gurney said that Slater, of Holland Street, Crewe, had no previous convictions and that prior to his offending, he had gone "above and beyond devoting his life to a profession helping young people."
He told the court that at the time, Slater had an "unhealthy sexual preoccupation and was addicted to pornography, as well as social media".
Slater wept in the dock as Mr Gurney spoke about his elderly mother, who was in hospital, following emergency surgery.
Sentencing Slater to five years and three months imprisonment, the judge Recorder Alex Leach described the offences as "reprehensible".
He added: "During your dialogue with him, you groomed him in a sophisticated and highly effective manner, drawing him into performing sexual acts, both over the internet and in person, for your gratification.
"The fact that you worked as a teacher, the fact that you must've understood the impact that this type of offending could have upon teenage boys, the fact that you understood the safeguarding and particular vulnerability associated with someone the age of the complainant neutralises any mitigation you might otherwise have been able to draw from your long service as a teacher."
A Sexual Harm Prevention Order has been imposed on Slater until further notice and he will have to sign the sex offenders register for life.
A spokesman for Brychall High School confirmed that Slater's contract had been terminated.
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