Lifelong ban for teacher who sent sexual messages

Aslam worked at Co-op Academy Grange in Bradford and sent some of the explicit messages from school premises

A secondary school teacher who sent a photo of his genitals to someone he thought was a 12-year-old girl has been barred from the profession for life.

Zafar Aslam, who taught English at Co-op Academy Grange in Bradford, was jailed for 14 months for at Bradford Crown Court in 2023 after admitting attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause a child under 13 to watch a sexual act.

A misconduct tribunal was told Aslam, 44, had sent explicit messages to someone he believed was a young girl on social media in 2022.

A panel hearing the case initially ruled Aslam could re-apply to be a teacher from 2033, but the Department of Education overruled that decision.

Acting on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education, Sarah Buxcey said Aslam's crimes were so serious he should never be allowed to return to the profession.

The tribunal was told Aslam first sent sexual messages to the account in January 2022.

Court transcripts read out at the hearing detailed how some of these messages were sent while Aslam was on school premises.

Around a fortnight later he sent a "live camera image" of his genitals to the account, along with a separate "gallery image" and a video, both of which were also explicit.

Aslam was arrested by police the following day and he was promptly suspended by the school, before being ultimately dismissed.

'Negative impact on the profession'

The hearing, part of which was held in private according to an online summary of the case, was told that Aslam had expressed "genuine" remorse for his actions.

It was also said that he had a "previously good history and the offences were out of character".

The panel ruled Aslam should be immediately banned from teaching, but that following an "appropriate period of rehabilitation" he would be entitled to apply for this to be lifted in nine years' time.

However, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, Ms Buxcey said: "I disagree with the panel on (the) review period.

"I do not feel the panel have given sufficient weight to the seriousness of the findings, that resulted in imprisonment, and the negative impact those findings have on the profession in maintaining public confidence and keeping children safe."

She concluded that only a lifelong ban could "satisfy the maintenance of public confidence in the profession" and was in the public interest.

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