Nigel Leat denied parole after sexually assaulting girls

Nigel Leat sexually assaulted five young girls during a five-year period of teaching at the school

A primary school teacher who filmed himself sexually abusing his pupils has been denied parole.

Nigel Leat, 63, was jailed indefinitely in 2011 for sexually abusing five children at Hillside First School in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.

The Parole Board denied his application based on risk factors including his "sexual interest in female children".

It said it was not satisfied his release would be "safe for the protection of the public".

Leat will be eligible for another parole hearing in the future.

The initial charges against Leat included one count of attempted rape, 22 of sexually assaulting a child under 13, and eight of sexual assault by penetration.

Police also found more than 30,000 indecent photographs on memory sticks.

He was first released from prison in December 2020 - after being deemed "suitable for release" by the panel - only to be recalled in March 2021 following "concerns about his behaviour".

According to Parole Board documents, he was found to have breached the conditions of his licence by "accessing concerning material on the internet linked to his continuing sexual interest in children".

The offences were committed between September 2006 and December 2010

Leat's case was again referred to the Parole Board in January last year, and a fresh oral hearing was ordered for 18 March 2024.

However, Leat chose to forgo an oral hearing, and his written file was instead reviewed by the panel on 12 March.

According to the Parole Board document, the decision to deny Leat's application was based upon several risk factors - including a pattern of him "thinking about sex a lot", his "sexual interest in female children" and "a lack of emotional intimacy within an adult relationship".

"Mr Leat lacked confidence and had justified his offending against children," the document states.

"The panel was not satisfied that release at this point would be safe for the protection of the public."