A man who taught at a Hitchin school has been banned from the profession after he was convicted of making indecent photographs of children and possessing pornography involving an animal.

Sean Rainforth, 37, was teaching at the Priory School in Hitchin – where he was associate assistant headteacher- when he was arrested in July 2020 after police found evidence connecting an indecent image to his IP address.

He was suspended from his teaching role the following month, and resigned in August 2021 after the police told him they had found 43 images on his devices.

Rainforth was convicted in April 2022 on three counts of making indecent photographs of children and one count of possessing extreme pornographic images involving an animal.

He was given a five-year sexual harm prevention order, handed a two-year community order, and had his laptop destroyed.

A Teaching Regulation Agency panel considered his case without a hearing, as Rainforth requested.

Rainforth admitted his conviction to the panel and gave it a “signed statement of agreed facts”.

He said he had “sought to address” his “unhealthy lifestyle habits”, and the panel heard he had an “unblemished record” as a teacher until his arrest.

It handed him a prohibition order with no review period, meaning Rainforth is banned from teaching indefinitely.

The panel concluded there was “some, albeit limited” evidence of “regret and remorse” from Rainforth – but added there was a “lack of evidence of full remorse”.

Its report said: “The lack of evidence of full insight and remorse means that there is some risk of the repetition of this behaviour, and this puts at risk the future wellbeing of pupils.”

The Comet has approached Hertfordshire County Council for comment.