CAROL WHITE AND SHOCKING SEXUAL ABUSE IN LANARKSHIRE

The disturbing case of Carol Ann White, a woman from Uddingston in Lanarkshire, has come to light following a series of heinous acts of sexual misconduct involving young boys she taught at primary schools in the area. White, aged 39, was found guilty of engaging in a series of abusive behaviors targeting two young male students during her tenure at different schools within Lanarkshire.

The investigation into White’s conduct was triggered when police uncovered evidence that she had been texting a 12-year-old boy during the initial COVID-19 lockdown period. Law enforcement officials analyzed phones belonging to both White and the young boy, revealing that they had exchanged a total of 1,185 messages over a span of just three weeks. These messages included inappropriate requests and explicit images, with White asking him to perform intimate acts via FaceTime and sending revealing photographs of herself. One of the images was captioned 'Cockblock of the year goes to Covid-19,' highlighting her inappropriate behavior during this time.

Further disclosures from the 12-year-old boy during police interviews revealed instances of physical contact of a sexual nature. He described being kissed on the lips approximately fifty times by White during a school trip to an outdoor activity centre close to Oban, Argyll. He recounted that she had groped him during the trip while they watched the movie Titanic, and that she had also forced his hand down the front of her trousers, actions that were both deeply disturbing.

The probe extended beyond this young boy, leading officers to interview an 11-year-old boy who attended the same school. This second victim described being kissed on the lips in a school store cupboard by White. During police interviews, the boy further revealed that White held his head against her groin and rubbed her breasts against him, actions that constituted grave sexual misconduct.

White, who lived in Uddingston, Lanarkshire, initially denied all charges against her, which included two counts of engaging in sexual activity with minors between August 2018 and May 2020. However, her defenses did little to sway the jury, who, after deliberating for just over an hour during a seven-day trial at Airdrie Sheriff Court, found her guilty of all charges.

It was also disclosed during the proceedings that White had previously admitted possessing eight indecent images of the 12-year-old boy. Among the texts admitted as evidence was a message from White to the boy that read: 'You clearly don't need me to help, someone else has must have made you horny.' Additionally, jurors viewed a video in which the 12-year-old testified that White had told him, 'if you touch me I will touch you,' and described an incident where she grabbed his hand and placed it down her trousers, which he said occurred only once.

The younger victim described how their interactions were influenced by their shared interest in Celtic FC, with White manipulating him and leading him to believe she was a kind and trustworthy person. The boy expressed feelings of betrayal, stating, 'I thought she was this nice person who would do nothing wrong but you can't judge a book by its cover,' and recalled feeling compelled to protect her in the past, even though now he recognized her misconduct.

Throughout her police interviews, White broke down, maintaining her innocence and insisting that all allegations were false. She claimed to be a hardworking, nurturing teacher who had no reason to behave in such a manner. However, prosecutors argued that her dual identity as a respectable educator and a manipulator engaged in sexual grooming demonstrated her deceitful nature.

Following the verdict, the defense lawyer, Graham Robertson, acknowledged the severity of the conviction, although the court noted the case’s distressing nature. Sheriff Morag Shankland deferred sentencing until June to allow for reports to be prepared and granted White continued bail, noting that she is no longer employed within the education sector. White was also ordered to register as a sex offender. The sheriff described the case as particularly difficult and distressing, and in recognition of the trauma experienced, excused the jury from service for the next five years.