A primary school teacher from Worcester who issued vile sexual instructions to an online profile he believed was a schoolgirl and created horrific child abuse images has been permanently banned from the teaching profession.
Offences and Conviction
Richard Leighfield, 55, formerly of Home Meadow, Worcester, admitted to one count of attempting to cause or incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity, three counts of making indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of a child, one count of possessing prohibited images of a child, and one count of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.
He was sentenced to 30 months in prison at Worcester Crown Court in January 2023. Additionally, he was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and placed on the sex offenders register for life.
Professional Misconduct Hearing
A professional conduct panel of the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) determined that Leighfield's actions breached teaching standards and constituted misconduct. The panel stated that his offences were serious sexual crimes involving children or someone he believed to be a child, making them relevant to his role as a teacher. Although there was no evidence that any child involved was a pupil he taught, they were of school age.
Leighfield worked as a year five class teacher at Northwick Manor Primary School in Worcester from September 2012. The school was informed of his arrest on August 22, 2024, and he was suspended on August 27 before being dismissed at a disciplinary hearing on December 11.
Lack of Remorse or Rehabilitation
The panel noted that Leighfield made full admissions but provided no explanation for his conduct or evidence of understanding its impact. He also offered no evidence of rehabilitation, leaving the panel without assurance that he would not repeat such behaviour.
In his job application, Leighfield stated he had been a teacher since 1994 and was promoted to assistant headteacher at a previous school.
Prohibition Order
At the TRA hearing in May 2026, Leighfield was issued a prohibition order, banning him from teaching in any school, sixth-form college, relevant youth accommodation, or children's home in England.
Police Investigation
West Mercia Police reported that Leighfield was arrested in August 2024 after instigating sexual conversations with an online child profile purporting to be a 13-year-old girl. Between July 30 and August 20, he gave instructions for the 'girl' to perform sexual acts on herself and encouraged her to watch and engage in a sexual act.
Upon his arrest, indecent images were found hidden on his phone, including one category A (the highest), eight category B, and ten category C photographs or pseudo-photographs of children.
Detective Constable Giuseppe Saladino, from the force's online child sexual exploitation team, described Leighfield's behaviour as predatory and noted that he was responsible for making horrific images, though his actions were intercepted by an online child profile.
