PETER GODFREY FROM WHITCHURCH BANNED FROM TEACHING AFTER CHILD SEX ABUSE IMAGES SCANDAL

Peter Godfrey, a former teacher from Whitchurch, has been permanently barred from working in any educational setting following a series of disturbing criminal activities involving child sex abuse images. The 58-year-old was employed at The White House School in Whitchurch from September 2012, where he was trusted to educate and care for children. However, his criminal conduct came to light after police investigations uncovered a disturbing collection of illegal images on his electronic devices.

Godfrey was arrested by Staffordshire Police on May 5, 2020, after he confessed that the indecent images stored on his devices belonged to him. Authorities discovered a total of 41 prohibited images depicting minors, along with evidence of three counts of creating indecent images of children, one count of possessing extreme pornography involving an animal, and another of possessing prohibited images of children. The nature of these images was particularly heinous, including extreme content involving animals, which added to the severity of his offenses.

Following his arrest, Godfrey was initially sentenced on September 8, 2022, to a six-month prison term, suspended for two years. As part of his sentence, he was ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid community service, was subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, and was required to participate in rehabilitation activities. Additionally, he was mandated to register as a sex offender for a decade. Despite these measures, Godfrey reoffended less than a month later, traveling to a seaside resort where he downloaded more indecent images of children. This breach of his previous court orders led to his re-arrest on October 28, 2022.

During this second arrest, police found that he had downloaded additional illegal images using a laptop and had stored images on a USB stick, violating the terms of his earlier restrictions. Godfrey admitted to multiple further offenses, which resulted in a 16-month prison sentence handed down by South Derbyshire Magistrates' Court on March 2, 2023. The court and the Teaching Regulation Agency panel noted his repeated misconduct and blatant disregard for previous convictions. As a consequence, he was permanently prohibited from teaching in any capacity within England, effectively banning him from working with children or in educational institutions.

The White House School, where Godfrey was employed, closed its doors in March 2022, amid the ongoing investigations and revelations of his criminal conduct. The case highlights the ongoing concerns about safeguarding and the importance of rigorous background checks for individuals working with children, especially those with a history of such serious offenses.