A jailed teacher who preyed on young school girls has been banned from working in classrooms for life.
Jonathan Clayton was found guilty of a string of sex assaults on young girls at a primary school and was sent to prison last April.
Now the 28-year-old, from Carlton, Stockton, has been struck off by the government's Teaching Regulation Authority and banned from working as a teacher for life, Teesside Live reports.
The TRA's professional conduct heard how Clayton, who denied the offences at his trial at Teesside Crown Court, abused his position as a teacher.
"His conduct clearly and obviously ran counter to what should have been at the very core of his practice as a teacher with a duty of care towards children to keep them safe. By virtue of his position, Mr Clayton was also in a position of trust and responsibility. He had abused that position," heard the panel.
“Mr Clayton's behaviour in committing these offences plainly engaged public and child protection issues. It directly impacted on the safety and security of children and raised serious safeguarding concerns. In short, Mr Clayton is a convicted sex offender who violated the rights and dignity of these young victims”
"A prohibition order would therefore prevent such a risk from being present in the future."
Clayton was found guilty of 13 charges of sexual assault on children under the age of 13 and sent to prison for eight and a half years, he was also placed on the sex offenders’ register after a trial at Teesside Crown Court in April 2020.
Prosecutors said he carried out the attacks at a school outside the Teesside area, which cannot be named for legal reasons, leaving his young victims traumatised.
The trial heard he was careful to hide the sexual assaults in the guise of helping a child to change clothes, offering comfort or examining an injury, touching six girls in a matter of weeks, some of them more than once.
He touched girls' bottoms or legs and, in the most serious case, private parts.
Clayton was not present at TRA but had been notified it was taking place. He requested it be held in private but his request was turned down.
Imposing the ban, the panel said: "I consider therefore that allowing for no review period is necessary to maintain public confidence and is proportionate and in the public interest.
"This means that Mr Jonathan Clayton is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.
"Furthermore, in view of the seriousness of the allegations found proved against him, I have decided that Mr Clayton shall not be entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach."
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