A teacher at a prestigious private
school in Oxford who viewed indecent images of children on his laptop has been given a suspended prison sentence.
Paul Dean,
66, who was head of English at the Dragon
School, lost his job as a result of the police investigation.
The prep
school said Dean's offences did not take place on its premises, or involve any of its students.
Among the
school's notable alumni are John Betjeman, Hugh Laurie, Emma Watson, Jack Whitehall and Tim Henman.
'Rigorous safeguarding'
In a statement, it said: "As soon as the
school was made aware of this police investigation, the individual was suspended with immediate effect and shortly afterwards his contract with Dragon
School was terminated.
"Safeguarding children is the highest priority for the
school and this responsibility is taken very seriously.
"Rigorous safeguarding procedures are in place at the
school and have been inspected regularly for many years.
"We have worked in conjunction with the Local Authority Safeguarding Team and Thames Valley Police regarding this matter, following both school policy and all government guidance."
Dean, of Cunliffe Close, Oxford, admitted viewing three category A images - the most severe - three category B images and nine category C images.
At Oxford Magistrates' Court, he was given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.
