In 2020, the Offender Database recorded that 31-year-old Richard Swinnerton—a former deputy headteacher from Coulby Newham—avoided an immediate jail term despite admitting to viewing images and movies of children being abused and raped. The investigation established that Swinnerton, who resigned from St Clare’s Catholic Primary School in Acklam, Middlesbrough, had been accessing this material on the dark web for two years. The prosecution reported that he viewed the sickening content for sexual gratification on a weekly basis, typically for 30 minutes at a time.
The investigation established that Swinnerton was employed as a primary school teacher and was an active member of his local church throughout the period of his offending. The prosecution reported that although his crimes were not directly related to his employment at St Clare’s, the National Crime Agency (NCA) launched a thorough investigation into his digital activity. Swinnerton eventually admitted three counts of possession of illegal images of children at Teesside Crown Court.
Judicial Findings and Suspended Sentence
The court reported that Swinnerton’s position of authority in education made his conduct particularly grave. The investigation established that he had been trawling the dark web for images of child rape, yet the sentencing judge opted for a non-custodial outcome. The prosecution reported that during his appearance at Teesside Crown Court, Swinnerton was handed a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.
Judge-led proceedings concluded with Swinnerton being ordered to undertake 35 rehabilitation activity days and a 27-day sex offender programme. For his actions in Middlesbrough and the nature of the digital abuse reported, he was also ordered to sign the sex offender register and was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), both for a duration of 10 years. The judge noted that Swinnerton’s career in education was over, but the decision to suspend his sentence remained a matter of public record.
Status and Statutory Requirements
Based on the judicial orders issued at Teesside Crown Court in 2020:
- Custodial Status: NON-CUSTODIAL (10-month sentence suspended for 2 years).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active for 10 YEARS.
- SHPO Status: Active for 10 YEARS (Restricts digital device usage and internet access).
- DBS Status: Placed on the Barring List (Indefinite ban on working with children or vulnerable adults; permanently barred from all regulated activity).
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Possession of illegal images of children x3).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Teesside Crown Court; investigated by the National Crime Agency (NCA).
- Criminal Record: Former deputy headteacher who accessed child rape videos on the dark web; Viewed illegal material weekly for two years; Active church member while committing digital sex crimes.
- Origin: Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Swinnerton is managed as a registered sex offender under the statutory requirements of the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in Cleveland. Due to the nature of his conduct—specifically his use of the dark web to access the most extreme categories of abuse imagery while working as a teacher—he is a priority for digital monitoring. Authorities reported that the 2020 conviction ensures Swinnerton is permanently removed from the teaching profession and barred from any contact with children in a professional or voluntary capacity.
As a registered sex offender, his details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that Swinnerton’s history identifies him as an individual who prioritised his own gratification over the safety and human rights of children. Any failure by Swinnerton to comply with his 10-year SHPO in Middlesbrough or elsewhere, or any attempt to access prohibited material, will result in immediate police intervention to ensure the ongoing safety of the public from a man who has violated the principles of human decency.
QUESTION – Given that the offender was a deputy headteacher with a “Weekly Habit” of viewing child rape, do you believe that any professional in a “Position of Trust” should legally be ineligible for a suspended sentence for child sex crimes?
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