ALAN HARBOTTLE LIVERPOOL PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER BANNED FOR LIFE AFTER SEXUAL COMMUNICATION WITH CHILD

In a significant development within the realm of educational safeguarding, Alan Harbottle, a former primary school teacher from Liverpool, has been permanently barred from working with children following his conviction related to online sexual misconduct. The disciplinary action comes after a detailed investigation and court proceedings that revealed the extent of his misconduct.

Harbottle, aged 52, had dedicated over a decade of his career to Mosspits Lane Primary School located in Wavertree, Liverpool. His tenure at the school began in September 2011, during which he served as the lead for the Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education and also took on responsibilities as the drama club supervisor. His career was abruptly halted in May 2023 when police apprehended him on suspicion of engaging in sexual communication with a minor.

The police operation that led to his arrest was part of a covert sting, where officers posed as a 14-year-old boy online. Harbottle was caught in the act of exchanging explicit images and engaging in sexually charged discussions. The evidence collected during this operation was compelling enough to warrant his arrest and subsequent court proceedings. Harbottle appeared before Southend on Sea Magistrates Court on June 1, 2023, where he was convicted of attempting to communicate sexually with a child and attempting to meet a minor under the age of 16 after grooming them online.

During the court hearing, Harbottle admitted to the police that he had been contacted by officers pretending to be a teenage boy. He confessed to exchanging nude images with the decoy and discussing sexual acts, which he later acknowledged as inappropriate and illegal. The court heard that he had even arranged a meeting, believing he was going to meet a 14-year-old, which underscored the severity of his actions.

Following his conviction, Harbottle was sentenced to a 10-month prison term, suspended for two years. Additionally, he was ordered to participate in a 30-day sexual offender rehabilitation program and complete a 25-day activity requirement aimed at his rehabilitation. A significant part of his sentence was the imposition of a sexual harm prevention order, which will restrict him from working with children for the next ten years.

The court also revealed that in May 2023, Harbottle had engaged in conversations on a legal dating app with someone he believed was over 18. In reality, the individual was an undercover police officer posing as a minor. The exchanges involved the sharing of sexualized photographs and discussions about explicit sexual behavior, which further demonstrated his intent and awareness of the misconduct.

The judge overseeing the case expressed strong disapproval of Harbottle’s actions, stating, “It’s clear that you knew what you were doing, you made that obvious by the sense of some form of self-awareness during the course of those exchanges, and obviously that what you were doing was wholly wrong…” The judge also highlighted the fact that Harbottle had planned to meet what he believed was a 14-year-old boy, indicating a clear intent to pursue illegal activity.

Interestingly, Harbottle wrote a letter expressing what the court described as “relief at being caught,” a sentiment that the judge found unusual but reflective of some level of remorse. The court acknowledged that Harbottle had shown genuine remorse and that there was a significant chance for his rehabilitation. However, the seriousness of his offenses led the Teacher Regulation Agency to impose a lifetime ban, preventing him from ever returning to the classroom in any capacity within England. This ban applies to all schools, sixth form colleges, youth accommodations, and children’s homes, with no possibility for him to reapply for teaching eligibility in the future.