A science teacher has been banned from the profession after accessing adult chat sites with pornographic content on his school laptop during lessons. Christian Watkinson, 48, used a mobile phone "hotspot" internet connection to bypass safety features at The Christian School in Takeley, Essex, between November 2022 and May 2023.
Pupils reported that Watkinson regularly took his laptop into the classroom's chemical cupboard for up to a minute during lessons. The teacher was warned by the school when the issue was first raised, but kept inappropriate content visible on his laptop for months afterwards.
Discovery and investigation
Concern was first raised by a pupil in November 2022 after they saw an image of a half-naked woman on the classroom's big screen. This occurred as Watkinson clicked through different tabs on his computer browser to present teaching material. The teacher was interviewed by the school and apologised, acknowledging the inappropriate tab should not have been open.
The school conducted a full investigation after further concerns emerged in May 2023, when another pupil reported seeing inappropriate content on the device. Screenshots of Watkinson's personal email account revealed numerous alerts from adult chat sites showing adult content.
Pupils' witness statements
Two pupils provided statements to the school saying they had seen a message on Watkinson's laptop screen which read "can't wait to see you in your sexy brown underwear". Another pupil reported seeing material including a video of a naked woman on a bed on the teacher's device. A fourth pupil said they had seen something inappropriate on Watkinson's screen in "nearly almost every lesson".
The school's filtering and monitoring system failed to identify the inappropriate content because Watkinson used an independent "hotspot" internet connection rather than the school's system.
Panel findings and ban
The Teaching Regulation Agency panel found Watkinson's behaviour had been "exceptionally reckless" with clear safeguarding concerns, amounting to serious misconduct. The panel stated his conduct "ran counter to the fundamental principles of being a teacher" and was "utterly unacceptable" as it resulted in pupils viewing adult content on several occasions.
Decision-maker Marc Cavey, acting on behalf of the education secretary, banned Watkinson from teaching indefinitely. The teacher can apply for the order to be set aside after ten years. Watkinson admitted the allegations in December last year but provided no evidence of insight or remorse for his actions.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
