Reporting staff from other schools

[Teachertimes14]

Hello all,

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I have been teaching now for 10 years and love my job and do not wish to do anything to compromise the fortunate position I find myself in and the career which I have built.

However, something shocking came to light the other day and I’m at a loss of what to do. What I have found out made me sick to my stomach and what makes this situation worse is the person in question is a ex partner of mine.

The person in question (26M) works as a technician/member of support staff in a secondary school. He regularly interacts with students, is left alone with students and is in a position of trust.

However, a mutual friend of ours informed me that this person is making, publicly posting and selling explicit images and content online. They sent me the link to where they were doing this and I was horrified. I was also horrified to learn they were doing this whilst I was in a relationship with them.

The dilemma I’m having now is whether to report this or not to the school where he works. The reason I mention the relationship is I feel as though many will see this as a “revenge” plot.

It genuinely isn’t.

As I stated, I’ve been teaching 10 years now and have seen the consequences on students and other staff members of explicit content and other unthinkable acts people in positions of trust have carried out. It leaves a lasting scar which is very very difficult to recover from and I do not wish any child who knows/trusts this person to see what I’ve seen.

Personally, I am also worried that no matter what action I take, I would be affecting my career too.

Any advice?

To clarify, we work at different schools and I would ideally like to be anonymous if I do report it.

If it's a child safe guarding issue then you have a duty to report it. Don't hesitate. Why would it affect you? Even if the content is of you and you consented to the making of it, you didn't consent to the sharing of it presrmably. The police need to decide if a crime has been committed, not you. If children are in danger, then your reputation is neither here nor there. It's an awful situation but it's clear cut in my view.

Does this person have an only fans account or something?

You really aren't selling the "not a revenge plot" thing very well. "Horrified they were doing this while with me" wouldn't be relevant to your story in that instance.

Personally, I think you're just trying to ruin someone's life after a bad breakup. It would be kinder to contact your ex and let them know the content is accessible publicly and that it could impact their job. Vilifying sex work is so 1980s, grow up.

Now you know you have to report it.

Yes. Report. It is potentially a safeguarding issue and really not about vilifying sex work at all …

Perhaps you could persuade the mutual friend who told you about this to report it (preferably to the police rather than the school)? If not, you really should report it yourself.

Thanks for this.

Sex work itself isn’t bad. There’s nothing wrong with it and yes it is a viable career.

What isn’t right is the selling of explicit images whilst in a position of trust or safeguarding in a school.

If it were a revenge plot, I’d have done it by now. Not just anonymously but publicly for all to see. Instead, I have asked for advice from what I thought would be intelligent people who would offer an opinion on whether the right course of action would be to pursue this or not.

So yes. I’m plotting revenge to ensure children and my career are kept safe.
If he wants to have a career in sex work, then he can do so. Just not around impressionable children.

And it is very clear that you have not seen the effect things like this have on vulnerable people.

Report immediately.

Definitely report, you would be wrong not to do so.
@EllieNBeeb do you work in a school? This is a safeguarding red flag.