The States police confirmed that a 41-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of possessing indecent images and has been bailed while the investigation continues. They said they could not comment on whether the man was a teacher.
St John’s School, meanwhile, sent an email to parents informing them that a member of staff was being investigated.
The email, sent yesterday by the head teacher Trudie de la Haye with the subject ‘staff absence’, says: ‘You may be aware that a member of staff has been absent from school since the beginning of term. I wish to inform you today that this is due to an ongoing police investigation in respect to the alleged possession of indecent images.
‘For legal reasons it is not possible for me to name the individual, nor to provide any further details at this stage. I know that this may be frustrating for you but I hope that you will understand that all agencies involved are very tightly bound by legal process and wouldn’t want to do anything that could undermine this. Within these constraints, my commitment is to provide you with as much information as I legally can in as timely a manner as possible.
‘Please rest assured that the States of Jersey Police are working extremely hard on this case, and that myself and colleagues from the Department for Children, Young People, Education and Skills, alongside other partner agencies, are doing all that we can to support the investigation and those involved.’
It adds: ‘Given that the information is limited at this stage, you may be tempted to speculate. I sincerely ask you not to do so, especially on social media, as your comments may inadvertently be damaging to the investigation. Thank you. With sadness, Trudie de la Haye.’
A spokesman for the States police, meanwhile, said: ‘We can confirm that a 41-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of possession of indecent images and has been released on conditional police bail while the investigation continues.’
They were unable to confirm or deny whether the man was a teacher.
