A former head teacher of an infant school in Essex has been banned from teaching for life after being jailed for possessing indecent images of children. Daniel Chapman, now 33 and known as Alexander Martin, was sentenced to 30 months in prison in November 2019 after admitting 12 offences.
Martin, who worked at Hilltop Infant School in Wickford, was arrested in May 2019. Police found dozens of indecent images and two videos on his phone. He had also exchanged messages of a sexual nature with other men, which the sentencing judge described as 'depraved, revolting and broadly sadistic'.
A professional conduct panel of the Teaching Regulation Agency found that Martin's actions were 'fundamentally incompatible with his being an educator'. The panel noted that as a head teacher, he was in a position of trust and had 'fallen very far short of the standards expected of him'.
The panel also highlighted that Martin had previously taken a course on safeguarding children from online abuse, giving him expert knowledge of the effects of such abuse. His lack of insight into his offending, having initially contested aspects of the charges, was deemed to indicate a risk of repetition.
A decision-maker acting on behalf of Education Secretary Gavin Williamson imposed an indefinite prohibition order, meaning Martin cannot teach in any school in England and cannot apply to have his eligibility restored.
