SHOCKING CRIME BY STEPHEN HEPWORTH IN CROWDON: TEACHER'S UPSKIRT PICTURES AT SHIRLEY HIGH SCHOOL AND ARCHBISHOP LAFRANC ACADEMY
In April 2019, a disturbing case emerged involving Stephen Hepworth, a former Assistant Principal with a long-standing history of inappropriate conduct at schools in Croydon.Hepworth, who spent several years teaching at Shirley High School, a performing arts college located in Shirley, was found to have taken upskirt photographs of teenage girls under his supervision.
These vile images were collected and stored over an extended period, revealing a pattern of predatory behavior that spanned from 2009 to 2014.
His misconduct was uncovered in December 2015 when pupils at Archbishop Lafranc Academy, another secondary school in Croydon, caught him accessing these illicit images on a school computer.
The footage captured by students showed Hepworth not only viewing the images but also zooming in and manipulating them further, indicating a deliberate act of voyeurism.
At the time of the incident, Hepworth was serving as Assistant Principal at the school.
The incriminating footage, which was played during a professional misconduct hearing convened by the Department for Education, depicted Hepworth engaging with images of former pupils.
The videos showed him accessing photographs of girls sitting on a table, with one girl wearing a skirt well above the knee.
The footage revealed Hepworth zooming in on her upper thigh and genital area, repeatedly cropping and refining the images to focus on these private parts.
The videos, lasting approximately two minutes, demonstrated a disturbing pattern of voyeuristic behavior, with Hepworth fixating on the girls’ upper thighs and under-skirt areas.
During the hearing, Hepworth claimed that his actions were merely “playing around” with new media software, suggesting a lack of malicious intent.
However, the panel overseeing the case was unconvinced by his explanation.
They observed that his repeated zooming and cropping indicated a clear purpose beyond innocent curiosity.
The panel noted that if Hepworth’s actions had been truly thoughtless, he would not have spent so much time manipulating the images in such a manner.
Instead, they concluded that his behavior was driven by sexual gratification.
Furthermore, the misconduct panel found that Hepworth’s actions breached fundamental professional standards.
They emphasized that his conduct violated principles of dignity, respect for pupils, and safeguarding their wellbeing.
The panel also highlighted that his behavior could tarnish the reputation of the teaching profession, as it demonstrated a serious lapse in ethical judgment.
The panel expressed concern that Hepworth’s cavalier attitude and limited insight into his misconduct left open the possibility of reoffending if he were permitted to continue teaching.
As a result of these findings, Hepworth was issued a prohibition order by the Education Secretary, which permanently bans him from working in any educational setting within England.
This includes schools, sixth form colleges, youth accommodations, and children’s homes.
The case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of safeguarding and the need for vigilance against abuse of trust by individuals in positions of authority within educational environments.
