A former teacher at a North East independent school has been barred from working in the profession following a conviction for downloading indecent images of children.

Robert Joseph Xavier Johnson, who taught at Dame Allan’s Primary School, in Fenham, Newcastle, from June 2010, was interviewed by police in June 2020, after indecent images were found on a computer belonging to him.

He was later charged and appeared before magistrates in November 2021, when he admitted five counts of making indecent photographs, or pseudo-photographs, of children, images said to have been obtained between October 2009 and June 2020.

The following month he was sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court, receiving a 12-month prison term, but suspended for two years.

Read more: Darlington teacher banned for life after misconduct hearing

As part of the sentence he was ordered to attend 40 probation-led rehabilitation activity days and to perform 200 hours’ unpaid work.

The now 43-year-old defendant, of The Wynd, in Kenton, Newcastle, who is understood to be formerly from Hartlepool, was also made subject of both registration with police as a sex offender, and to the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, each to run for ten years.

His case was referred to the Teaching Regulatory Agency (TRA), whose professional conduct panel staged a hearing last month.

The TRA agreed to a request from Johnson that the allegation of misconduct be considered without a contested hearing, as he issued a signed statement agreeing to the facts of the case and of the conviction.

Panellists were satisfied his conduct breached teachers’ standards, noting that some of the images found by police were in the most serious category and the offending behaviour took place for more than a decade, starting prior to him working at the school.

Despite hearing of his proficiency to teach, the panel considered his behaviour would affect public confidence in the teaching profession and his suitability to teach.

Given the, “strong public interest consideration in respect of the protection of pupils”, it outweighed any other considerations in retaining Johnson in the profession.

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Despite his previous “good history”, the panel did not consider there to be any mitigation on his behalf and said it would be disproportionate or inappropriate not to recommend his prohibition from the profession.

The panel, therefore, recommended the Education Secretary to make a prohibition order.

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Such an orders forbids him from teaching at any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England, “indefinitely”.

It also recommended that in the circumstances there should be no review period, which is permitted in some cases.

The recommendation was agreed on behalf of the Education Secretary, on January 31.