Teacher banned from the classroom after taking indecent photographs of himself at school | EUROtoday

A science instructor who took indecent photos of himself on faculty premises throughout working hours has been banned from the career.

Benjamin Lillicrap, who labored at The Abbey School in Faversham, Kent, from July to November 2023, admitted to taking footage of his genitalia throughout faculty hours.

In November 2023, throughout an unrelated police investigation on the faculty, officers discovered a number of indecent photos of Mr Lillicrap’s genitalia that had been taken on the varsity premises.

He was then suspended by the varsity, which held an preliminary investigation assembly, adopted by a proper disciplinary listening to.

When requested straight, “Have you taken any pictures of your penis during school time?”, Mr Lillicrap mentioned that he had, and so they have been meant for a non-public particular person.

He said that no youngsters have been within the room when he did so.

Mr Lillicrap apologised for taking the photographs on faculty grounds however mentioned: “It was never anything that was meant to come to light.”

Following the disciplinary listening to, he was dismissed for gross misconduct in February 2024 and the matter was referred to the Teacher Regulation Agency.

Knowledgeable conduct panel discovered that Mr Lillicrap engaged in inappropriate and/or unprofessional behaviour and that behaviour was conduct of a sexual nature and/or was sexually motivated.

A report mentioned: “The panel found that Mr Lillicrap’s behaviour showed no regard to safeguarding of students, or the potential risk of students, colleagues and/or members of the public finding him taking images of his genitalia when on school premises.

“The panel found that this was not an appropriate way for a teacher to behave and he failed to observe the boundaries appropriate to his role as a teacher.

“The panel also noted that students have the right to be educated in a safe environment and that teachers have a duty of care to ensure that this is the case. By behaving in this way, Mr Lillicrap did not provide a safe environment for the students.”

The panel discovered that Mr Lillicrap’s actions constituted conduct that will deliver the career into disrepute and that his conduct fell in need of anticipated requirements.

They mentioned he “was wrongly focused on his own sexual gratification rather than on his teaching responsibilities”.

He was banned from instructing indefinitely.