North East teacher jailed for sex offences handed ban

Dean Davidson, who taught at schools across the North East, admitted 18 sexual offences over a spell of ten years back in 2021.

It has now emerged the 41-year-old failed to show up for a hearing where he was barred from teaching for life, despite being allowed to attend by the prison service.

Read more: Report shows more children living in poverty in County Durham than rest of UK

Nor did he respond to the allegations put to him by a teaching misconduct panel.

A report published on Monday (July 24) said: “It was more likely than not that he was aware of this hearing and had waived his right to attend. There was no indication he was unfit to attend.

“The prison service indicated in an email on May 18, 2023, that he could attend if he wished.”

His crimes included possession of indecent images of children, online exploitation of young teenagers and indecently touching boys.

One of his victims said he “posed as a good-looking blonde girl”, and in other cases he used a male alter-ego, depending on the sexuality of his young victims, Newcastle Crown Court was told in 2021.

The misconduct panel concluded Davidson had breached his position of trust as a teacher.

It said: “The sentencing remarks of the judge and reports of children recorded in police investigation documents, included in the bundle, indicate some of the sexual activity and possession of pornographic images of which he was convicted, occurred in school whilst he was in his teaching role.

Read next:

• Woman 'furious' about £100 parking fine for taking too long to pay charge
• Innocent man accused of killing partner describes ordeal as worst time of his life
• TUI flight full of North East holidaymakers returning home diverted mid-flight

Get more from The Northern Echo with a Premium Plus digital subscription from as little as only £1.50 a week. Click here

“He encouraged pupils to send him sexual images and videos which he recorded without their knowledge.”

Davidson was banned from teaching indefinitely in any school, sixth-form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.

He was jailed for 17 years in 2021 and held his head in his hands during his sentencing hearing when statements from 27 of his victims were heard.

In mitigation, Newcastle Crown Court heard he “enjoyed” his work as a teacher.