A teacher who sent ‘sexually explicit messages’ to a ‘paedophile hunting’ group, whom he believed was a nine-year-old, has been struck off indefinitely.
In 2019, Miguel Pastor, who worked as a year 3 supply teacher for St Dominic Savio Primary School in Berkshire, was walking to work when he was approached and filmed by the group who livestreamed the encounter on social media.
Pastor was questioned about being a teacher and messaging children under the age of 18.
Shortly after, police arrived and he was arrested and interviewed over allegations the group had made. He was later released on bail.
A Teaching Regulation Agency investigation found that Pastor allegedly ‘demonstrated a sexual interest in children’ after he sent messages on KIK to a person whom he had ‘reason to believe’ was nine years old, named as Individual A.
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Pastor initiated contact with Individual A and asked ‘How are you doing?? Where are you from??’ Individual A responded: ‘I’m 9 from Manchester Wbu.’
Pastor replied: ‘I’m a bit older. I’m 32 and I live in Reading. I hope my age doesn’t bother you.’
The panel found that ‘at no point did Mr Pastor appear concerned about communicating with a 9-year-old from his messaging, which quickly progressed into a sexually explicit conversation’.
Pastor then asked Individual A: ‘Have you ever kissed a guy/boy before??’
Individual A replied, ‘No, have you?’ to which Pastor said, ‘Yes, several girls… And other things…’
Individual A asked ‘What things’. Pastor replied: ‘Well… Things like touching each other… Kissing very passionately. Or even having sex.’
Pastor also asked Individual A whether they had tried masturbating, explaining how to do it when Individual A said they didn’t know what it was.
In the police interview, he said the ‘younger person did not sound like a nine-year-old.
He added: ‘I teach that age and it doesn’t sound like a person who is nine. But I still did ask if she had a boyfriend. I did ask… what do you know about sex? We talked for a couple of sentences about that.’
Pastor said he thought Individual A was an adult pretending to be a child due to the spelling and language used in the messages.
He said he wanted to ‘unmask’ individuals as he was concerned about how many people lied about their identity on these types of platforms.
However, when challenged about the fact that he didn’t seem to stop conversations when he felt people were lying, Pastor stated that he was then talking to the ‘true person’ who was often someone lacking in confidence and wanted to make them feel good about themselves.
After an investigation, it was found his messaging was a ‘significant breach of his safeguarding responsibilities and in complete contrast to the standards expected of a teacher.’
A final judgement after the investigation found that there was a ‘lack of evidence’ that Pastor had gained ‘insight into and remorse for his actions’.
‘This means that Mr Miguel Pastor is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.
‘Furthermore, in view of the seriousness of the allegations
found proved against him, I have decided that Mr Pastor shall not be entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach.’
Pastor has a right of appeal to the High Court within 28 days.