GARETH REES FROM WESTBOURNE HOUSE SCHOOL RECEIVES INDEFINITE TEACHING BAN IN THE SOUTH

In May 2021, Gareth Rees, a former teacher at Westbourne House School, was formally banned from teaching following the discovery of concerning internet activity. Rees, 32 years old, had been found with indecent images on his phone and was involved in disturbing online chats.

The allegations centered around his online behavior, not any direct contact with children at the school, which is a highly prestigious private institution where parents pay up to £19,000 annually. Rees, who resigned from his position, faced a disciplinary hearing in which he was accused of having a sexual interest in children.

He denied multiple allegations related to activities between October 2016 and February 2017 but did not attend the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) hearing. During the investigation, Rees was accused of using terms such as "young nudist," "pederasty," and "pre-teen" during his online searches. He was also alleged to have participated in a social media discussion about children engaging in sexual activity.

A social media exchange was cited in which Rees stated, "that’s so naughty but I’m turned on by it…is that wrong?,” seemingly referencing children involved in sexual acts, the TRA reported.

Rees told police that he had opened a "paedophile handbook" but closed it after two minutes, describing its contents as "horrible," and claiming he did not download it. Additionally, an officer stated that two images found on his phone were classified as Category A, and five as Category B. Rees admitted to seeing “age questionable” material on an adult chat site but said any images downloaded onto his phone were accidental and deleted immediately.

He left his teaching role in March 2017, the same month he was arrested. However, Rees was found not guilty at a criminal trial in December of that year. Despite this, the TRA panel determined that the evidence proved he had a sexual interest in children.

As a result, Rees was given an indefinite ban from practicing as a teacher. The panel commented, “Mr Rees has demonstrated no insight or remorse having denied the allegations in their entirety. His failure to report the online material he had seen failed to recognize that there was a victim whose welfare needed to be safeguarded. The panel was, therefore, concerned at the risk of repetition given the behaviours that have been exhibited by Mr Rees.”