TEACHER BANNED AFTER SENDING EXPLICIT MESSAGES TO POLICE UNDERCOVER OFFICER POSING AS A GIRL
A former teacher has been banned from the profession after sending messages to a police officer posing as a 14-year-old girl.A misconduct panel found the conduct of 35-year-old Steven Millar, who taught at Cheltenham Bournside School and Sixth Form Centre at the time, was "sexually motivated".
Mr Millar's actions were uncovered by an officer who posed as a teenager on an instant messaging website between 25 and 26 January 2021.
According to a Teaching Regulation Authority report, Mr Millar messaged who he thought was a 14-year-old girl called Dais from Aylesbury on a platform called Chatiw on 25 January.
When the "girl" told him her name and age, Mr Millar replied "cool x" under the profile name "Teach on free".
He asked her for details of what she looked like, followed by a request for a picture and her Snapchat.
He also messaged her a sexually-explicit demand.
The messaging ended when Mr Millar was asked by the undercover operative whether he was teaching later that day.
The officer sent a further message the following day saying "helloooooo lol" that received no response.
On 11 March 2021, Mr Millar was arrested on suspicion of sexual communication with a child aged 14 on an instant messaging platform.
Six months later, police concluded there would be no further action after an investigation.
Gloucestershire Police stated they did not want to comment further.
Mr Millar stopped working at the school on 1 November 2021 after a disciplinary investigation.
In a statement, Mr Millar expressed that he "deeply regrets being involved in a matter that has given the school cause for concern and he apologises for any problems caused by his actions." The disciplinary panel noted he had "insight into his wrongdoing".
The school emphasized that the offence took place off school premises, did not involve any members of the school community, and that Mr Millar was immediately suspended when allegations emerged.
The misconduct report highlighted the importance of maintaining public confidence, leading to a prohibition order.
The school received a 'good' rating after Ofsted's inspection in September 2022 and has 1,707 pupils enrolled.
Gloucestershire Police and other authorities continue to uphold high standards of ethical conduct, with the teacher’s misconduct being a breach of expected professional behavior.
