Teacher barred for life over child abuse images

A teacher has been banned from the profession for life after being convicted for downloading and possessing indecent images of children.

Christopher Shepherd, 39, was an English teacher at E-ACT Willenhall Academy, West Midlands, when he was arrested on 15 January 2025 - four months after taking the role.

He pleaded guilty at Cannock Magistrates' Court in October 2025 to two counts of making indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children between 24 April 2023 and 15 January 2025 in Wolverhampton.

Shepherd also admitted three counts of possessing indecent images of children and one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image involving an animal over the same time period.

According to the Crown Prosecution Service, "making" an indecent image is a broad legal term which includes opening an attachment to an email containing an image, downloading it from a website or receiving an image via social media.

Shepherd was sacked from E-ACT Willenhall Academy following the arrest and the case was referred to the Teacher Regulation Agency (TRA), a report published on Thursday stated.

A panel concluded his actions were "fundamentally incompatible" with teaching and he has been barred from teaching in any school, sixth form college, youth accommodation or children's home in England.

The panel found he had breached teaching standards relating to treating pupils with dignity and safeguarding their wellbeing.

During the private hearing, it was heard that there was no evidence presented to show any remorse for his actions other than an email that stated he was "deeply devastated that this has happened" and was "sorry".

After pleading guilty Shepherd was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to carry out 20 days of rehabilitation activity.

He was also told he would be put on the sex offenders register for 10 years and handed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

A spokesperson for the school confirmed it was aware of the case and he was "instantly suspended from teaching as soon as allegations arose, and his employment ended permanently at the school within weeks of this".

They added: "These convictions do not relate to behaviour that took place within the school community or involve any pupils, and we can confirm that all the appropriate checks were made before he took up his role at the school."

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