Primary college instructor despatched specific texts and voice notes to girl from bogs
Ben Walker worked at Edisford Primary School in Clitheroe where he admitting to sending sexually explicit messages to a woman from the staff toilets while children were on the premises
Edisford Primary School(Image: Google)
A primary school teacher who sent sexually explicit messages, voice recordings and photographs from the toilets when pupils were present in the building has been barred from the profession.
Ben Walker worked at Edisford Primary School in Clitheroe in September 2016. He stepped down in November 2023 after acknowledging he had sent sexually explicit material to a woman whilst on school grounds on July 13 in 2022.
A Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel has now banned Mr Walker from teaching. He is unable to request the prohibition be removed for two years, reports Lancs Live.
In his judgement, Stuart Blomfield from the TRA stated: “Mr Walker admitted to having sent sexualised voice notes and images of him shirtless and having exposed himself to Person A, who was an adult not connected with the school.
“The panel has been provided with copies of the messages which indicate that the conversation was mutual between Mr Walker and Person A.
“The photographs of Mr Walker with his shirt off, and one with him appearing to expose himself (although this is redacted in the panel’s bundle of documents), are taken in the same room – which appears to be the toilets.
“The panel is therefore satisfied that those photographs were taken at School. Mr Walker has admitted that those photographs were taken in the male toilets at School, although for clarity, the panel notes that Mr Walker asserted these were the male staff toilets.
“For the avoidance of doubt the panel is satisfied that no children saw Mr Walker take the photos in question, nor is there any suggestion that any child heard Mr Walker making or receiving the sexualised voice notes. Notwithstanding this, the panel is of the view that children were still on School premises and were therefore in the vicinity of Mr Walker when he was engaging in the alleged activity.
“The panel accepts that the risk of children witnessing his activities was probably low, but it cannot rule out there was at least some risk of exposing a child to harm by carrying out the activities on School premises. The panel considered whether the messages were sexually motivated.
“The nature of some of the messages that the panel has had sight of are particularly graphic and are unquestionably of a sexual nature. They indicate the participants’ desire to engage in a sexual relationship and the panel is therefore satisfied that Mr Walker was sexually motivated in sending the messages.
“Although the images appear to have been taken by Mr Walker in the main part of the bathroom, rather than in a locked cubicle. The images show a door and two sinks, behind and next to where Mr Walker is standing (respectively). The [REDACTED] confirmed that the image appeared to have been taken by Mr Walker in the main part of the bathroom, and that there was no lock on the door into the bathroom.
“The panel’s concern is that if a child had inadvertently entered the staff toilet at the time, the harm to that child could have potentially been significant.”
The prohibition order implies that Mr Walker is indefinitely barred from teaching and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England. He may apply for the prohibition order to be lifted, but not before March 2028.
