Leeds music teacher caught sending sexual messages to 13-year-old girl banned from profession

Lawrence Levin, 70, worked with Roundhay Music, in Leeds, which provides tutoring to the local community, at the time of the offence in 2019 - a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) misconduct panel heard.

The TRA professional teacher misconduct panel hearing was told that, Mr Levin was arrested after engaging in an online chat with an undercover police officer who was posing as a 13-year-old girl in January 2019.

He was convicted of “intentionally attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification” in April 2021, according to an official report published following the TRA panel hearing.

He was ordered to carry out community service, placed on the the sex offenders’ register and made subject of a sexual harm prevention order for five years, the report said .

In its conclusion, published last week, the TRA noted that Mr Levin had shown "a degree of insight and remorse", having told the panel that he was "grateful" no real child had been harmed by him.

The misconduct panel said: “The panel finds that the conduct of Mr Levin fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession.

“The findings of misconduct are particularly serious as they include a conviction of a relevant offence, for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification.

Get the latest on all of the news from across Leeds sent directly to your inbox with our free daily newsletter

“Engaging in the offence for which Mr Levin was convicted preys on the vulnerable and fuels an industry that exploits children.”

Mr Levin has been banned from teaching indefinitely and the panel ruled that his offending had been so serious, he would “not be entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach.”