Huddersfield paedophile teacher banned from profession for life

Simon Beckerson was jailed at Leeds Crown Court in 2021

A paedophile teacher entered the profession to gain access to children, a misconduct hearing has been told.

Simon Beckerson worked as a teacher in Huddersfield before he was convicted at Leeds Crown Court in 2021 of possessing and making indecent images of children.

Banning him permanently from teaching, the panel said he had "abused his position of trust...for his own sexual gratification".

There was a risk the 47-year-old could repeat his actions, it added.

He did not attend the hearing or submit evidence in his defence.

Beckerson had been a teacher for 13 years when a member of the public found indecent images of children in a bag also containing a school ID badge belonging to him in October 2020.

He was arrested on the same day and suspended from his job one day later.

Thousands of indecent images were found in his possession, the misconduct hearing was told.

'Gross breach of trust'

Beckerson was subsequently jailed for two years and eight months in 2021 after being convicted of three counts of possessing an indecent photograph or pseudo photograph of a child, three counts of making an indecent photograph or pseudo photograph of a child and possessing prohibited images of children.

He was also convicted of possessing extreme pornographic images of a sexual act involving an animal.

In addition to his jail term, restrictions on contact with under-18s, the use of the internet and any device capable of making digital images were also imposed on Beckerson and he was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

The misconduct hearing said that Beckerson had gone into teaching "with the knowledge of his sexual interest in children".

Allowing him to return to the profession would "unacceptably compromise the safety of children", it added.

Deciding on behalf of the Secretary of State, Sarah Buxcey accepted the panel's recommendation to prevent Beckerson from ever being able to challenge his ban following his "gross breach of trust".