College lecturer who taught disabled pupils admits schoolgirl fetish after being caught with hundreds of child abuse images
- College lecturer Darren Tattersall admitted to having a schoolgirl fetish
- The 33-year-old was caught with hundreds of child abuse images, court told
- Watched around 50 indecent videos featuring schoolgirls, court hears
- Had been working at Bury College but was suspended when allegations surfaced
- School bosses say the offences were not connected to college activities
College lecturer Darren Tattersall, pictured, admitted having a schoolgirl fetish, a court heard
A college lecturer who taught students with profound learning disabilities has admitted having a schoolgirl fetish after being caught with hundreds of child abuse images.
Darren Tattersall of Earby, Lancashire, watched around 50 indecent videos featuring Japanese schoolgirls and had saved up to 300 images, a court heard.
The 33-year-old, who pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children while living in Darwen, Lancashire, had been working at Bury College, but was suspended as soon as the allegations came to light.
School bosses say the offences were not connected to college activities.
Preston Crown Court heard how Tattersall had admitted having an addiction to pornography, visiting explicit websites two or three times a week.
He was handed a six-month prison sentence, which was suspended for two years, after admitting his crimes to police.
The teacher, who has an eight-month-old baby, was also told he must attend an internet sexual offenders' treatment programme.
He was also made the subject of a sexual offenders' prevention order for seven years when he appeared at the court.
After the hearing, Det Sgt Mark Whelan, from the engage team at Lancashire Police said: 'He told us in interview he had a fetish for schoolgirls.
'If that is his fetish and he worked in a college, then that is not conducive to safeguarding the young adults he was exposed to.
'He was somebody who needed to be caught.
'We are not suggesting there has been any contact offences in this case.
'But these kind of offences are often the first step people take prior to doing something more serious.
'Therefore it is always a good use of police time to bring these people to justice.'
Darren Tattersall had been working at Bury College (pictured), but was suspended as soon as the allegations came to light
Bury College principal Charlie Deane said: 'We have been reliably informed by the police that the offence is not connected to college activities.
'We immediately suspended the individual and carried out our own thorough internal investigation which confirmed this.
'The safeguarding of our learners is of paramount importance to us and we are confident that our policies and procedures are highly effective in safeguarding our students.'
The seven year sexual offenders' prevention order prevents Tattersall working with children.
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