Sheffield primary school teacher Liam O’Leary banned for life for grooming girl he met in chat room

A Sheffield teacher has been banned from the profession for life for grooming a teenage girl he met online.

Liam O’Leary, aged 38, was working at Beck Primary School in Shiregreen in 2013 when he met the girl aged under 16, messaged her for weeks, and met with her for sexual activity, a teacher misconduct panel heard.

It also heard that over a two-month period starting in 2013 he encouraged the girl to send dozens of indecent images of herself and exchanged 2,147 messages, some sexually explicit.

The panel heard he met the girl, who was not a pupil at Beck Primary, in an online chat, and the relationship started in November 2013.

‘Child A’ disclosed details in a police interview in February 2014.

In February 2019, Mr O’Leary resigned as a teacher and the following month was interviewed by police. In November 2019, Child A confirmed she was unwilling to attend a criminal hearing.

The Teaching Regulation Agency referred the matter to a professional conduct panel hearing in December 2021.

The panel found all of the allegations proven in a three-day hearing in March this year.

It also found he tried to shift blame onto Child A by stating she had initiated inappropriate interactions, and his conduct ‘escalated’ after he became aware of Child A’s age.

Mr O’Leary admitted sending messages, having calls and receiving photos but denied any physical contact.

He also asked for the hearing - which he did not attend - to be held in private.

He stated: “I have not taught for five years, never intend to return to the profession and the allegations were nothing to do with my role in school, regardless of outcome I do not want for a ruling on a profession I voluntarily left before allegations were even brought to light to effect [sic] my family and friends.”

The request was denied.

A report by Sarah Buxcey, of the Department for Education, states the panel found all allegations proven and they amounted to ‘unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute’.

It also recommended he should be the subject of a prohibition order, with no provision for a review period. 

The report adds: ‘‘This means that Mr Liam O’Leary is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England’.