PE teacher banned over indecent images of children

A PE teacher jailed for making, owning and sharing indecent images of children has been handed a permanent classroom ban.

Stuart Street was arrested at the school gates of Queen Elizabeth’s Academy in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, in October 2021, and later put behind bars for the “indecent and extreme” material found on his mobile.

A Teaching Regulation Agency tribunal had heard that one of the images was a photo of a child known to Street, not a pupil at the school, which he had edited to “appear sexual”.

The tribunal’s findings, published on Wednesday, barred Street, 29, from teaching indefinitely, with no future provision to have the ban reviewed.

After a tip-off led to his arrest, Nottinghamshire Police discovered videos and images on his phone, evidence material had been shared, and conversations which appeared to be with young girls and with other potential offenders.

Street was suspended, and on 5 December 2022, after initially denying the offences, saying his phone “had been hacked”, he pleaded guilty to six counts at Nottingham Crown Court, the tribunal report said.

Street was jailed for 17 months in April 2023, placed on the sex offenders register and handed a sexual harm prevention order, which restricted his use of the internet and electronic devices, the report added.

The probation service had assessed Street as a “moderate risk” of further offending, while the report said there was “a lack of evidence that Street has developed remorse for his actions”.

The tribunal panel found Street’s actions “were relevant to working with children” and would affect public confidence in the profession.

Street, who did not attend the hearing, has 28 days to appeal the lifetime ban at the High Court.

Diverse Academies Trust, which operates Queen Elizabeth’s Academy, said no current or former pupils were involved, and that it has “strong safeguarding policies and procedures” which were “promptly followed” in the case of Street.