Teacher banned from the classroom after taking indecent photos of himself in school
It was decided to ban a science teacher who took inappropriate photos of himself in the school building during working hours.
Benjamin Lillicrap, who worked at The Abbey School in Faversham, Kent, between July and November 2023, admitted taking photographs of his genitals during school hours.
In November 2023, during an unrelated police investigation at the school, officers found numerous indecent photographs of Mr Lillicrap’s genitals taken on school premises.
He was subsequently suspended by the school and an initial investigative meeting was held, followed by a formal disciplinary hearing.
Directly “Did you take pictures of your penis during school?” When asked, Mr. Lillicrap said that he had taken pictures and that they were directed at a private individual.
He stated that no children were in the room when he did this.
Mr Lillicrap apologized for taking the photos on school grounds but said: “It was never something that was intended to come to light.”
Following a disciplinary hearing, he was dismissed for gross misconduct in February 2024 and the matter was referred to the Teachers Regulation Authority.
A professional conduct panel found that Mr Lillicrap engaged in inappropriate and/or unprofessional conduct and that this conduct was of a sexual nature and/or was sexually motivated.
A report said: “The panel found that Mr Lillicrap’s conduct failed to take into account the potential risks to the protection of pupils or to pupils, colleagues and/or the public finding him taking photographs of his genitals on school premises.
“The panel found that this was not appropriate behavior for a teacher and that he failed to observe boundaries appropriate to his role as a teacher.
“The panel also noted that students have the right to be educated in a safe environment and teachers have a duty to take care to ensure this is ensured. By behaving in this way, Mr Lillicrap did not provide students with a safe environment.”
The Board found that Mr Lillicrap’s actions constituted conduct that was likely to bring the profession into disrepute and that his conduct fell short of expected standards.
They said he was “erroneously focused on his own sexual gratification rather than his teaching responsibilities.”
He was banned from teaching indefinitely.
