A FORMER IT teacher at Sandown High School, who admitted possessing images of children as young as nine engaged in indecent acts, was sentenced to a three-year community order at Portsmouth Crown Court on Monday.
Robert Stacey, 52, of High Street, Wootton Bridge, who was the Isle of Wight Council’s civic organist, pleaded guilty to five charges of possessing indecent images of children.
The court heard how police had discovered a picture on Stacey’s computer showing a naked male aged about 17 with a boy aged about 11.
Three short films were also found on the computer, involving boys aged from nine to 13, engaged in sexual activity. Another five stored still images were also found,said Christopher Amis prosecuting.
During an initial search by police at Stacey’s home, he admitted he visited gay websites but denied accessing pictures of children intentionally.
Mr Amis added: "This was not material that was accidentally downloaded, it was deliberately downloaded."
For Stacey, Elizabeth Bussey-Jones told the court that just opening the files would have been enough for it to have appeared on Stacey’s computer records.
She said: "If he had only deleted these files as soon as they came on to his computer rather than leaving them there, he would not be in this position."
Judge Graham White ordered that Stacey attend a sex offender group programme. Stacey was also registered as a sex offender for five years.
No order for costs was made.
Council helpline if you have similar concerns
ANYONE who has any concerns over Stacey’s or similar cases can contact a helpline set up by the Isle of Wight Council.
The free helpline, operated by trained counsellors, will be available to assist those who may have been affected and will offer callers an initial point of contact and direct them to the service most appropriate to meet their particular need.
Introduced initially for a trial period, a decision on the helpline’s longer term future will be taken depending on the volume of usage it generates.
The number of the helpline is 0800 141 2784. It will be available seven-days-a-week from 9am to 6pm.