ms hope
03-12-2009, 08:09 PM
http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/gloucestershireheadlines/Cheltenham-teacher-child-porn-charges/article-1572540-detail/article.html
Cheltenham teacher on child porn charges
Thursday, December 03, 2009, 07:11
A Gloucestershire primary school teacher is facing child pornography charges.
Ben Clay, 35, of All Saints Road, Cheltenham, was suspended from his position at Lakeside Primary School when police discovered a stash of videos said to feature serious child abuse.
Gloucestershire County Council said police have no evidence he has committed offences against children in his care, including at the school.
A warrant was executed at his home on Tuesday after an investigation by German police into buyers of child porn on the internet led them to a number of UK addresses.
Clay appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates' Court yesterday to face four charges of making indecent images of children by downloading them between March 19 and September 26 this year.
Crown Prosecutor Louise Pinder said the films were graded at level four and one was borderline level five, on the Oliver Scale, which classifies indecent images according to their gravity.
Grade one is for children posing for a camera and five is for the most severe cases.
When officers searched Clay's house they found two damaged hard drives, which could not be examined, Miss Pinder said.
Clay was also charged with perverting the course of justice.
Presiding Magistrate Tina Rowley-Mussell remanded Clay in custody. He will appear at Gloucester Crown Court on December 9.
A spokesman for Gloucestershire County Council confirmed that a teacher had been suspended.
She said: "We are working closely with the police to support their investigations and our priority at this time is safeguarding children.
"Police have no evidence that he has committed offences against children in his care, including at the school."
Cheltenham teacher on child porn charges
Thursday, December 03, 2009, 07:11
A Gloucestershire primary school teacher is facing child pornography charges.
Ben Clay, 35, of All Saints Road, Cheltenham, was suspended from his position at Lakeside Primary School when police discovered a stash of videos said to feature serious child abuse.
Gloucestershire County Council said police have no evidence he has committed offences against children in his care, including at the school.
A warrant was executed at his home on Tuesday after an investigation by German police into buyers of child porn on the internet led them to a number of UK addresses.
Clay appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates' Court yesterday to face four charges of making indecent images of children by downloading them between March 19 and September 26 this year.
Crown Prosecutor Louise Pinder said the films were graded at level four and one was borderline level five, on the Oliver Scale, which classifies indecent images according to their gravity.
Grade one is for children posing for a camera and five is for the most severe cases.
When officers searched Clay's house they found two damaged hard drives, which could not be examined, Miss Pinder said.
Clay was also charged with perverting the course of justice.
Presiding Magistrate Tina Rowley-Mussell remanded Clay in custody. He will appear at Gloucester Crown Court on December 9.
A spokesman for Gloucestershire County Council confirmed that a teacher had been suspended.
She said: "We are working closely with the police to support their investigations and our priority at this time is safeguarding children.
"Police have no evidence that he has committed offences against children in his care, including at the school."