GLENN STRANEX FROM BANGOR FACES SERIOUS SEX OFFENCE CHARGES IN CO DOWN

In September 2019, Glenn Stranex, a former teacher, children’s author, and prominent hockey coach from Bangor, Co Down, found himself at the center of a grave legal proceeding as he awaited sentencing for a series of serious sex offences. The case revealed a disturbing pattern of misconduct spanning nearly three decades, with charges that included child cruelty, voyeurism, and the possession of indecent images of children.

Stranex, aged 53, was accused of committing these offences over a period from September 1989 to September 2016. The charges against him included two counts of child cruelty, one of voyeurism, seven of making indecent images of children, and possession of an additional 25 indecent images. These allegations painted a troubling picture of a man who, despite previous disciplinary warnings, continued to engage in inappropriate and illegal conduct involving minors.

Initially, Stranex faced a total of 19 charges, including more serious allegations such as indecent assault of a girl and inciting a second child to commit gross indecency. However, following his guilty pleas to the charges that remained, the more severe accusations were allowed to stay on the legal record without further prosecution. This decision was part of a plea arrangement that aimed to streamline the case and focus on the charges he admitted.

The case was brought to Belfast Crown Court after Social Services reported concerns in September 2016, leading to police involvement. The report followed Stranex’s suspension from his teaching duties amid new allegations of inappropriate behaviour. Authorities had previously issued him a final warning after disciplinary proceedings, which was kept on his professional record. Despite this, he was permitted to continue teaching under certain conditions, raising questions about oversight and safeguarding.

During police searches of his classroom and home, officers seized various electronic devices, including computers, laptops, and hard drives. Stranex reportedly responded to the officers’ inquiries with a simple apology, saying, “I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry.” The evidence collected included images of children, some in hockey uniforms, which were classified as Category C indecent images—depicting girls in various poses while dressed in their hockey kits.

Further disturbing was the discovery of voyeuristic material, specifically images of a young female undressing in an upstairs room. Stranex later claimed that these images were taken while he was attempting to photograph the moon, asserting that the pictures resulted from efforts to refocus his camera. Nonetheless, the court found that his actions demonstrated an over-familiarity and inappropriate physical boundaries with the girls involved, causing them distress and discomfort.

Testimony from former pupils detailed how Stranex behaved inappropriately towards them. One girl, aged nine or ten at the time, described how he “behaved inappropriately towards” her, which made her feel uncomfortable, despite him treating her as a “favourite.” Another girl recounted how Stranex attempted to “cultivate an inappropriate relationship,” including games where he tried to kiss her on the lips and ridiculed her in ways that left her feeling embarrassed and uneasy. These accounts underscored the pattern of misconduct that the court was examining.

Stranex’s involvement in hockey was also scrutinized, as he coached the Ulster under-16 team and served as the youth officer for the under-15 girls. His dual roles in sports and education added to the gravity of the case, given the trust placed in him by the community. The evidence presented indicated that his actions had a lasting impact on the victims, who had to endure the trauma of his misconduct.

In court, the prosecution highlighted that the images found on Stranex’s devices, although described as a “small handful,” were part of a larger collection of thousands of photographs taken by him, revealing a keen and prolific interest in photography of children. The court also noted that Stranex had attempted suicide three times, reflecting his troubled state of mind. He accepted that he would be unable to return to his teaching career, acknowledging that his reputation was now in ruins. His guilty pleas, however, spared his victims the ordeal of giving evidence in court, which was seen as a mitigating factor.

As the case concluded, the seriousness of the charges and the evidence presented underscored the importance of safeguarding minors and maintaining strict oversight of individuals in positions of trust. The court’s decision on sentencing was pending, but the proceedings had already cast a long shadow over Stranex’s life and career, highlighting the devastating consequences of his actions in Bangor and beyond.