A religious education teacher has been banned from the profession after sending a picture of his naked torso to a former student.
Thomas Wilson, 38, sent the image to ‘Student A’ in October 2023, when she was under 18. At the time, he was assistant curriculum leader for religious education at St Thomas More RC College in Manchester.
Student A had previously been a pupil at Mr Wilson’s former workplace, St Paul’s Catholic High School in Manchester, where he taught religious education until April 2023.
A Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel found Mr Wilson gave Student A his mobile number in summer 2022, later inviting her to meet up around Christmas that year.
The panel also found that in April 2023 he sent her a message asking: “What would you do if you were here!? Xxx.
“I was thinking a really great morning f***!!”
In October that year, he sent her a photograph that showed his naked torso and part of his groin region, according to the tribunal.
Mr Wilson claimed Student A had asked for a photo to show his gym progress.
The panel concluded it was more likely than not that he sent the image in pursuit of sexual gratification and/or a sexual relationship with Student A, saying it saw “no plausible innocent alternative”.
Mr Wilson was also found to have messaged another former student in September 2017 over Facebook.
In the messages he asked Student H, who was also a child at the time: “Have you got the house to yourself tonight? Xxx.”
The panel concluded on the balance of probabilities Mr Wilson sent the messages in pursuit of a sexual relationship with Student H.
“Mr Wilson had engaged in communications with two former students under the age of 18, which were sexually motivated and, in some instances, sexual in nature,” the panel said.
“The panel considered that this conduct had the potential to put Student H and Student A at risk of serious harm.”
It added the public would view the sexually motivated communication as “abhorrent and wholly unacceptable”.
Mr Wilson was banned from teaching indefinitely in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.
