KENNETH CHAPMAN, PERVERT TEACHER FROM SWINTON, JAILED IN APRIL 2007

In April 2007, Kenneth Chapman, a 40-year-old teacher from Shaftsbury Road, Swinton, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison after being convicted of grooming a 14-year-old girl he met online. Judge Roger Thomas labeled him a "sexual predator" and warned that "any parent who hears of this case must fear for their children coming into contact with a man like in these circumstances."

Chapman, who had resigned from his position as a history teacher at Rivington and Blackrod High School in Horwich, Bolton, pleaded guilty to charges of meeting a child following sexual grooming. He also admitted to possessing and distributing disturbing images of child pornography found on his computer.

The court was told that Chapman met the girl, who had no connection to his school, through an internet chatroom used by children. Initially, both lied about their identities; Chapman claimed to be 19 or 20, while the girl said she was older. However, they later revealed their true names and ages.

Prosecutor Tim Brennand described Chapman as appearing "supportive and caring," pretending to help the girl with homework and calling her his "princess." He convinced the girl to get a webcam so he could see her in a "state of undress." The pair arranged to meet, with Chapman taking her to a pub for lunch in his Mazda sports car and later dropping her home to avoid being seen together. They parted with a kiss, which was not deemed highly sexual.

The girl’s family became suspicious after her aunt noticed a text message from Chapman. The girl initially insisted she was just communicating with a "boy in his 20s," but her mother realized she was defying her and continued to interact with Chapman, prompting her to alert the police.

Police raided Chapman’s home, seized his computer, and arrested him at his school. Investigators discovered 18 images of child pornography, including one categorized as "level five," indicating the most severe form. They found that Chapman had sent some of these images to others before deleting them and also discovered a picture of an unidentified girl.

During police interviews, Chapman made no comment but later admitted to probation workers that he wanted to have sex with the girl. A former Army serviceman, Chapman showed no emotion as he was sentenced; he received two years for sexually grooming the girl and an additional six months for possessing and distributing indecent images. He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely and barred from working with children.

Judge Roger Thomas remarked that Chapman’s military and teaching careers had painted him as an "upstanding" community member, but his crimes revealed a "darker side." He described him as "a man who is somewhat of a sexual predator," and condemned the explicit pornography found on his computer, calling it "disgusting degrading material involving children doing the most awful things." It was emphasized that these charges were unrelated to his employment at the school.