Reading teacher who made indecent photos banned

Martin Webb was working at St Joseph's College in Reading when he was accused of the offences

A teacher who was given a suspended prison sentence after he admitted making indecent photos of children has been banned from the profession.

Martin Webb was head of IT strategy at St Joseph's College in Reading when he was arrested in October 2019.

The 59-year-old resigned from the private school two months later and was given a prison sentence of 20 months suspended for two years in July 2020.

The Teaching Regulation Agency said his misconduct was "the most serious kind".

Webb, who was first employed at the school in September 2017, was convicted of three counts of making indecent photos of a child at Reading Crown Court.

The offences took place outside the school and did not involve any pupils or staff.

'Ashamed'

An agency panel said in a report that Webb's conduct was "wholly at odds with the standards and behaviour expected of any member of the public, let alone a teacher".

It said his previous work was not "significant mitigation given the nature and the severity of the misconduct found proved".

In a letter to the agency, Webb said he was "ashamed and deeply remorseful".

A spokesperson from the school said Webb had been "suspended immediately" after the allegations surfaced and that it had fully cooperated with the police investigation in 2019.

Following his conviction, Webb was ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for 10 years and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

He was also ordered to undertake a rehabilitation activity for 40 days and participate on the Horizon sexual harm prevention programme for up to 30 sessions.