Mr Stephen Adcock

The Secretary of State does not make these decisions themselves. They are made by a senior official on the recommendation of an independent panel.

Teacher's name: Mr Stephen Adcock

Teacher reference number: 00/54030

Teacher's date of birth: 30 December 1964

Location teacher worked: South West England

Date of professional conduct panel: 30 September 2022

Outcome type: prohibition order

Notice is hereby given that, in accordance with The Teacher's’ Disciplinary (England) Regulations 2012, a professional conduct panel was convened to consider the case of Mr Stephen Adcock, formerly employed in insert South West England.

Teacher misconduct

Ground Floor, South

Cheylesmore House

5 Quinton RoadCoventryCV1 2WT

Email TRA.Casework@education.gov.uk

Telephone 020 7593 5393

Information about regulating the teaching profession and the process for dealing with serious teacher misconduct.

Mr Stephen Adcock: Professional conduct panel meeting outcome Panel decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education September 2022 2 Contents Introduction 3 Allegations 4 Preliminary applications 4 Summary of evidence 4 Documents 5 Statement of agreed facts 5 Decision and reasons 5 Findings of fact 6 Panel’s recommendation to the Secretary of State 10 Decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State 13 3 Professional conduct panel decision and recommendations, and decision on behalf of the Secretary of State Teacher: Mr Stephen Adcock Teacher ref number: 00/54030 Teacher date of birth: 30 December 1964 TRA reference: 0017697 Date of determination: 30 September 2022 Former employer: Okehampton Community College, Devon Introduction A professional conduct panel (“the panel”) of the Teaching Regulation Agency (“the TRA”) convened on 30 September 2022, by virtual means, to consider the case of Mr Stephen Adcock. The panel members were Mr Peter Ward (lay panellist – in the chair), Mr Terry Hyde (lay panellist) and Mrs Bernie Whittle (teacher panellist). The legal adviser to the panel was Mrs Luisa Gibbons of Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP solicitors. In advance of the meeting, after taking into consideration the public interest and the interests of justice, the TRA agreed to a request from Mr Adcock that the allegations be considered without a hearing. Mr Adcock provided a signed statement of agreed facts and admitted unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute. The panel considered the case at a meeting without the attendance of the presenting officer, Ms Carolyn Thackstone, or Mr Adcock. The meeting took place in private. 4 Allegations The panel considered the allegations set out in the notice of meeting dated 16 September 2022. It was alleged that Mr Adcock was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute, in that: Whilst a teacher at Okehampton Community College, Devon: 1. He engaged in inappropriate and/or unprofessional behaviour between April 2018 and October 2018 by a. On one or more occasions he viewed or attempted to view pornographic video and/or pornographic material using school equipment; b. On one or more occasions, using school equipment, he viewed and/or attempted to view pornographic video and/or pornographic material with search terms referring to: i. “virgin fuck”, and/or ii “Sluts” and / or iii “Teen Porn”. c. On one or more occasions, using school equipment, he viewed or attempted to view: i. Adult dating websites and/or ii. couple swapping websites d. On one or more occasions, using school equipment, he viewed and/or attempted to view video and/or material of sexual indecency; 2. His behaviour as may be found proven at Allegation 1 above was conduct of a sexual nature and/or was sexually motivated. Mr Adcock admitted the facts alleged and admitted unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute. Preliminary applications There were no preliminary applications. Summary of evidence 5 Documents In advance of the meeting, the panel received a bundle of documents which included: Section 1: Notice of Referral and Response – pages 5 to 11 Section 2: Statement of Agreed Facts and Presenting Officer Representations – pages 12 to 18 Section 3: Teaching Regulation Agency documents – pages 19 to 216 Section 4: Teacher Regulation Agency witness statements – pages 217 to 258 Section 5: Teacher documents - pages 259 to 264 The panel members confirmed that they had read all of the documents within the bundle, in advance of the meeting. Statement of agreed facts The panel considered a statement of agreed facts which was signed by Mr Adcock on 16 June 2022. Decision and reasons The panel announced its decision and reasons as follows: The panel carefully considered the case and reached a decision. In advance of the meeting, the TRA agreed to a request from Mr Adcock for the allegations to be considered without a hearing. The panel had the ability to direct that the case be considered at a hearing if required in the interests of justice or in the public interest. The panel did not determine that such a direction was necessary or appropriate in this case. Mr Adcock was employed at Okehampton Community College (the “College”) as the head of computer science, ICT and Business Studies Faculty from 1 September 2001. An investigation took place as to whether Mr Adcock had breached the College’s acceptable use policy to access inappropriate material using school equipment during the school day. A disciplinary hearing took place on 13 March 2019 and Mr Adcock was summarily dismissed. Mr Adcock appealed his dismissal. His appeal was heard at an appeal hearing on 2 April 2019. His appeal was dismissed. The police decided to take no further action on 23 June 2020. 6 Findings of fact The findings of fact are as follows: The panel found the following particulars of the allegations against you proved, for these reasons: Whilst a teacher at Okehampton Community College, Devon: 1. You engaged in inappropriate and/or unprofessional behaviour between April 2018 and October 2018 by a. On one or more occasions you viewed or attempted to view pornographic video and/or pornographic material using school equipment; Mr Adcock admitted having viewed or attempted to view pornographic video and/or pornographic material using school equipment in his response dated 13 December 2021 to the Notice of Referral. He made the same admission in the statement of agreed facts explaining that the occasions when this had happened were when he was working alone within a closed office, and that it did not occur in the classroom environment. Individual A has provided a witness statement that he was informed of the allegation concerning Mr Adcock on 8 October 2018 by Individual D and Individual E. He explained that those members of staff had informed him that they had been trialling some new software to identify if there were any searches being used by anyone within the College that was concerning (“the Software”). He was informed that the software had identified that Mr Adcock had been accessing adult dating, couple swapping, swingers’ sites and other dating sites, and that some semi nudity had been detected. He commissioned Individual B to conduct an investigation. Individual B has provided a statement producing his investigation report. He explained that during the investigation, he conducted an interview with Individual C. During that interview, Individual B learned that as well as Mr Adcock viewing soft porn, there were also visits to other websites including live streaming sex websites. Individual B has provided screenshots of the websites and images viewed on Mr Adcock’s computer, and has also provided a report containing a detailed examination of the web browsing history relating to Mr Adcock’s computer. The examination of that web-browsing history indicated the searching of inappropriate images and websites occurred regularly on a weekly basis, taking place during PPA, non-contact time, break time, lunchtime and/or after school. The website activity was undertaken in Mr Adcock’s office, which he had sole use of, on his school PC, using his admin account. In his report, Individual B stated that only four staff in the College had admin rights, allowing users to have unfiltered access to the internet. Mr Adcock was one of those members of staff. As to whether anyone could have accessed Mr Adcock’s office, Individual B reported that Mr Adcock’s door could be left with a latch on, and it was 7 possible to use a setting to prevent his PC from locking. However, he stated that Mr Adcock’s office was in a busy science corridor, with a window giving clear sight to Mr Adcock’s work station. There was an occasion when the access to inappropriate websites took place over a two hour period, and a third person would have needed to have been undetected over this time to continue the activity. He also stated that the searches only took place during Mr Adcock’s non-teaching time. Given Mr Adcock’s admission, and the evidence detected through use of the Software, the panel considered that it was more likely than not that Mr Adcock had viewed or attempted to view pornographic video and/or pornographic material using school equipment. The panel considered that this was both inappropriate and unprofessional. Individual B stated that Mr Adcock was responsible for the electronic safety of pupils and staff within the College, and his actions were in direct conflict with his duties. b. On one or more occasions, using school equipment, you viewed and/or attempted to view pornographic video and/or pornographic material with search terms referring to: i. “virgin fuck”, and/or ii “Sluts” and / or iii “Teen Porn”. Mr Adcock denied this allegation in his response dated 13 December 2021 to the Notice of Referral. However, he subsequently admitted this allegation in the statement of agreed facts on 16 June 2022. Appended to Individual B’s statement is a list of search terms that had been detected that were within the web-browsing history of Mr Adcock’s computer. Those search terms included “sluts” and “porn teen”. The Devon and Cornwall Police Constabulary provided information to the presenting officer that the College’s investigation had lead the College to locate concerning search history, terms such as “virgin fuck”, “Sluts” and “Teen Porn”. In light of Mr Adcock’s admission, the list of search terms and the information provided by the police, the panel considered it more likely than not that Mr Adcock had used these search terms. The panel considered that this was both inappropriate and unprofessional.