UDDINGSTON TEACHER CAROL WHITE SENTENCED FOR ABUSING SCHOOLBOYS IN LANARKSHIRE

In June 2022, a disturbing case involving a female teacher from Uddingston, Lanarkshire, culminated in her being sentenced to three years in prison for a series of heinous sexual offenses committed against two young schoolboys. Carol Ann White, aged 39, was found guilty of engaging in a campaign of sexual abuse that spanned over a period of nearly two years, involving two different primary schools within North Lanarkshire.

Her criminal activities came to light after a police investigation was initiated following the discovery that she had been exchanging explicit messages with a 12-year-old boy during the initial COVID-19 lockdown. Authorities analyzed the phones of both White and the boy, uncovering a staggering total of 1,185 messages exchanged over just three weeks. These messages included White requesting the boy to perform intimate acts via FaceTime, sending revealing photographs of herself, and even sharing a provocative photo captioned ‘C**kblock of the year goes to Covid-19’.

Further revelations emerged during police interviews, where the 12-year-old, who has special educational needs, disclosed that White had kissed him approximately 50 times on the lips during a school trip to an outdoor activity center near Oban, Argyll. He also recounted that White had groped him while they watched the film Titanic and had forced his hand down the front of her trousers. The investigation then extended to an 11-year-old boy, who reported that White had kissed him on the lips in a school store cupboard. In subsequent interviews, the boy described how White had held his head against her groin and rubbed her breasts against him.

White, who resides in Uddingston, Lanarkshire, denied two charges of engaging in sexual activity with the boys, covering the period from August 2018 to May 2020. Despite her denials, a jury at Airdrie Sheriff Court took just over an hour to convict her after a seven-day trial. The court heard that White had earlier pleaded guilty to possessing eight indecent images of the 12-year-old boy. During the trial, a text message from White to the boy was presented as evidence, in which she wrote, “You clearly don’t need me to help, someone else must have made you horny.”

In a video played to the jury, the 12-year-old victim recounted that White had told him, “If you touch me I will touch you,” and then forcibly placed his hand down her trousers, an incident he described as happening once. The 11-year-old boy also shared his account, explaining that he was targeted after a conversation about White’s fondness for Celtic FC. He expressed that he initially believed White to be a kind and trustworthy person, but later realized her manipulative nature. He said, “She was manipulative. I thought she was a good person who would do nothing wrong but you can’t judge a book by its cover. We were talking about football because she is a big Celtic fan and the kiss just happened. For the last year I’ve felt like I had to protect her because I thought she was this nice person but she really wasn’t. If you were Miss White’s teacher’s pet then she would favour you. It felt quite good. Looking back I feel disgusted.”

Throughout the proceedings, White broke down in tears as she repeatedly denied the allegations, asserting, “My reaction is that they are absolutely not true, not any of it.” Prosecutors described her as the “master of deceit,” emphasizing her dual life as a respectable teacher by day and a manipulative predator by night. The sheriff, Morag Shankland, expressed her condemnation, stating, “There is no sentence this court can impose which can in any way alleviate the harm you have caused to the children involved and the court wishes to commend the bravery of those children and their parents for the way they gave evidence. You have been convicted of a serious breach of trust and you have shown absolutely no remorse for these actions. The only appropriate sentence is one of imprisonment.”

Following her sentencing, White was also placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely and will be on licence for 18 months after her release, as the sheriff deemed her a continued risk to the public. The mother of the 11-year-old boy expressed her relief, saying, “I’m just glad she got jailed. Concerns had been raised in the school about her being overly familiar with pupils but yet she was allowed to move on and target a vulnerable boy. The whole thing is shocking and I feel as if I’ve had no support for the last two years.”

It is noteworthy that White, who still maintains her innocence regarding any sexual activity, had earlier pleaded guilty to possessing eight indecent images of the 12-year-old boy. A disturbing text message from White to the boy was also introduced as evidence, reading, “You clearly don’t need me to help, someone else must have made you horny.”

During the trial, the 12-year-old victim described how White had told him, “If you touch me I will touch you,” and then forcibly grabbed his hand and placed it down her trousers, an incident he said occurred once. The 11-year-old boy recounted that he was targeted after a discussion about White’s love for Celtic FC, revealing her manipulative nature and how he initially believed she was a kind person. He expressed feelings of disgust and betrayal in hindsight.

White’s emotional breakdown during the proceedings underscored the gravity of the case. She insisted, “I was a very hard working, nurturing, caring teacher for all children. I don’t know why they would say this about me.” The prosecution’s depute fiscal, Kevin Jarvis, described her as a “master of deceit,” highlighting her ability to maintain a respectable facade while engaging in criminal behavior. The sheriff ultimately deferred sentencing until June to allow for further reports, and she was released on continued bail. The court also acknowledged the distress caused to the victims and their families, excusing the jury from service for the next five years due to the case’s sensitive nature.