FORMER TEACHER DAVID GALLICHAN FROM WEST SUSSEX JAILED AFTER OFFENCES CONNECTION IN HORLEY
A retired teacher from West Sussex, David Gallichan, has been sentenced to prison following additional criminal activities after a prior conviction for possessing indecent images of children.Gallichan, 63, was involved in directing a production of 'Amadeus' at The Archway Theatre in Horley, which was held from September 27 to October 8, 2016.
At that time, he was under a suspended sentence and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order due to his offence of creating and possessing indecent images of minors.
The theatre's spokesperson clarified that the play did not include any children and stated, "control measures" were implemented to ensure the safety of any children attending.
Gallichan, who resides on Haywards Heath Road in Balcombe, was recently sentenced to 18 months in prison for further offences.
He attempted to contact a young girl online and failed to disclose to police that he used a computer without monitoring software.
The spokesperson for The Archway Theatre emphasized their commitment to safety: "We take the safety and security of adults, children and vulnerable adults as the utmost priority and remain fully committed to continue to work with both internal and external partners and safeguarding authorities, to ensure that our policies and practices are up to date." At the time of his previous sentencing, the theatre's management collaborated with police and Surrey safeguarding teams to establish strict control measures.
Gallichan was prohibited from attending the theatre when children’s activities were scheduled and was not allowed unsupervised access.
He is no longer a member of the theatre.
Gallichan was sentenced on September 10 at Hove Crown Court for attempting to contact the girl.
He also engaged in online discussions of his fantasies with other adults and used a secret laptop to communicate with teenagers.
PC Louise Giles from Sussex Police explained, "Gallichan still attempted to speak with teenagers online even after his previous conviction.
He kept a laptop without telling us, which did not have the necessary monitoring software installed." She further revealed that Gallichan had expressed fantasies about nudist camps involving teenage boys, created profiles and characters over several years to engage in sexual conversations with both adults and minors online.
He would pretend to be a daughter or stepdaughter to seduce others.
Police conducted a proactive investigation, obtained a search warrant, and discovered that Gallichan had concealed a laptop in an outdoor shed.
Despite these activities, there was no evidence to suggest he had engaged in sexual acts with others online or directly.
Nevertheless, PC Giles described him as a "menace" who attempted to manipulate and exploit others.
