A sick County Durham teacher who groomed a teenager and sent her a video of himself carrying out a sex act has been barred from the classroom for life.

A teacher misconduct panel met last week to decide if David Amos, jailed for 30 months in 2022 for child sex offences, should ever be allowed back in the classroom.

Teesside Crown Court was told in October 2022 that the teacher had been tasked with contacting the student in the early days of the Covid pandemic but instead used his time to engage in sexual conversations with the girl.

Amos, 32, first emailed her then moved to Snapchat before coercing her to send a naked photo and sending her several pictures of his penis.

He sent more than 700 messages to the girl including offering to whip her with his tie and trying to persuade her to go to a wooded area so that he could photograph her.

Prosecutor Richard Bennett said: “There was grooming behaviour, to a degree because this was a long conversation that has taken place over a number of weeks.”

Amos, from Durham, pleaded guilty to causing a child to watch sexual activity and a charge of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

Jailing Amos for two years and six months Judge Chris Smith said: “Over the course of several months you engaged in sexualised conversation with her, that sexualised contact started quite quickly after you contacted her on Snapchat.

David Amos.David Amos. (Image: Durham Constabulary)

“In the course of that conversation, you sent her a video of you masturbating.

“I have read some of the messages, there is a degree of cajoling or pressurising her to engage in sexual activity within the context of what is a gross breach of trust.”

He was sacked from his job on the day he was jailed.

The teacher misconduct hearing held in his absence said Amos had not provided any evidence of insight or remorse for his actions.

It concluded he should be banned from teaching for life, and will never be able to have his ban revoked.

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A panel, chaired by Mr Alan Wells, said: “The offences committed by Mr Amos were serious sexual misconduct against a child, that was sexually motivated. It is also apparent that he viewed an indecent photograph of the pupil as he commented upon it.

“The panel had no evidence of any mitigating circumstances nor anything that could allow it to assess the risk of repetition.”