Friday, March 29, 2024
1Child porn teacher struck off

Child porn teacher struck off

By ALEXANDER LAWRIE

A FORMER sex education teacher at one of Scotland’s top private schools has been struck off after being convicted of downloading thousands of child porn images.

Shamed sir Peter Orr, 31, taught biology and sex education to kids at Lomond School, Helensburgh, but resigned from the school after he was caught with the horrific pictures.

The disturbed teacher, who is now thought to be working as a shop cleaner in England, was charged with downloading 4000 images but only admitted to half that number.

The court heard the ex-biology teacher first found the images after searching for information on puberty.

Orr, formerly of Clydebank, was initially interviewed by the school’s head before police were called in March 2007.

Former pupil

It is believed his laptop was seized during the investigation.

The shamed teacher himself was a former pupil of the £5000-a-year school, and returned as a member of the staff in 2006.

His duties also included working in the school’s boarding section.

He was given a two year probation order and placed on the sex offender’s register after appearing at Dumbarton Sheriff Court in March 2008.

Yesterday, he failed to appear before the General Teaching Council (Scotland) in Edinburgh and his name was permanently removed from the teaching register.

The GTC panel stated: “The sub-committee found the offences to have material relevance to the respondent’s fitness to be a teacher in that he failed to have upheld the standards of personal conduct and integrity so that the public have confidence in him as a teacher and teaching as a profession.

“Furthermore, the respondent has failed to maintain his position as a role model to young people.

“In addition, he placed himself in a situation which breached the criminal law and hence called into question his suitability to be a teacher.”

Famous ex-pupils

Lomond School is in the suburbs of Helensburgh on the edge of the Lomond National Park.

Parents from all over Scotland and beyond have been tempted by its tranquil settings and excellent exam results, as it consistently appears near the top of school performance league tables in Scotland.

Poet WH Auden taught there and former pupils include television inventor John Logie Baird and international entertainer Jack Buchanan.

The exclusive school is a favourite choice of Rangers footballers, with the children of Walter Smith, Mo Johnstone and Mark Hateley have all been educated there.

Related Stories