CHESTER TEACHER JAILED FOR CHILD PORN
A former teacher from Chester has admitted to downloading more than 20,000 images depicting child exploitation.Michael McClean, who served at several public schools, also shared certain offensive images of boys with others sharing similar predilections via his laptop.
He was sentenced to two years and three months in prison, with a judge commenting that McClean was burdened with the unsettling experience of viewing some of these images.
Judge Robert Warnock called the images both revolting and traumatic, emphasizing they detailed systematic abuse of very young children—something McClean supported through his actions.
The court heard that the operation was highly organized, involving the purchase of membership to a site designed for sharing such illicit content, enabling him to organize, distribute, and archive the images.
Nearly 25% of the images found on McClean’s device fell into the second most serious category, while 45 images were classified as the most severe.
At the time of police intervention, McClean had been employed with the Department for Welfare and Pensions (DWP) for two years.
Addressing McClean, aged 56, Judge Warnock stated that he was a well-educated and intelligent man who held respected positions within the educational sector.
The judge added that references portrayed him as an outstanding individual.
However, a pre-sentence report highlighted that he posed a serious risk to children.
He was ordered to register as a sex offender for seven years, banned from working with children indefinitely, and subjected to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order to restrict his online activity.
McClean, who had no criminal background, pleaded guilty to 20 charges, including four counts of distributing 19 indecent images, one count of possessing 22,393 indecent images, and 15 counts of creating such images.
These offences spanned from March to December of 2009.
Prosecutor Chris Taylor told the court that in 2009, Cheshire Police’s Paedophile Unit was alerted to McClean’s use of an online platform featuring such images.
A subsequent search of his home revealed the images stored on his laptop, along with emails containing attachments of photos.
Last year, police forensic experts examined his computer, discovering that most images depicted boys aged 12 to 14.
During questioning, McClean acknowledged that he used his laptop to obtain indecent images of boys for sexual satisfaction and collection, initially disturbed by the more severe images but later re-engaging and exchanging such photographs.
Defense attorney Richard Thomas stated that McClean had enjoyed a successful 20-year career as a teacher and maintained long-term relationships with men.
He moved back to Chester in 2002 to care for his ill father.
His social life waned, leading to community isolation and depression.
By 2009, his mental health had deteriorated sharply, resulting in multiple suicide attempts.
During this period, he bought a computer and developed a habit of collecting indecent images.
A psychological report indicated that his actions were a way to vent frustration against the world.
Mr.
Thomas emphasized that McClean did not use the images for sexual pleasure but collected them, experiencing difficulty recognizing the harm to children involved.
Since his arrest, he has faced personal attacks at home and ongoing health issues.
