Essex school teacher Enda Feeney banned from teaching

Enda Feeney was a biology teacher at Trinity Catholic High School in Woodford Green when he sent the messages to a girl he was teaching.

A professional conduct panel heard he had asked if the pupil would “be up for cuddles and kisses” and if she was “still a virgin”.

When asked why he wanted to meet the student, he responded: “I like you so it would be pretty much up to what you wanted.”

Hearing - the evidence against Mr Feeney was heard at a two-day misconduct panel in December (Image: UK Government)

He admitted paying the pupil £500 “to stop all this nonsense”.

“She said if I don’t give her £3,000 by the end of the month she would send it to work,” he said in a police interview.

“I thought my life was over… after an exchange we agreed on £500.”

Mr Feeney, who started working at the school in 1987, and his union representative were not present at the two-day hearing in December.

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The pupil said she had been contacted anonymously online by “some random sugar daddy” but that she later “worked out that the person was Mr Feeney” because there was a photo of him and recordings of his voice on the profile.

Her suspicions were confirmed after she agreed to meet the person who had been messaging her.

Mr Feeney started working at Trinity Catholic High School in 1987 (Image: Google)

He was suspended after the allegations came to light in March 2021 when a post claiming Mr Feeney had been “asking for nude pictures” went “viral” on social media.

Documents published by the Teaching Regulation Authority yesterday revealed no further action was taken by the police as the pupil was not willing to provide an evidential statement.

The panel heard how Mr Feeney admitted sending the messages and meeting the pupil outside of school in a police interview.

He said: “I out of curiosity downloaded [a social media app] and put some likes on her videos.

“She wanted to know who I was and after some exchange of text happened she asked how old I was and I said 54 and she asked if I wanted to be her sugar daddy and I must have agreed and she said she would send me naughty pictures for £20. And I don’t know I must have been possessed.

“She sent me bank details and I didn’t want to do that so arranged money to be collected at a bus stop.”

The panel ruled, except for the £500 payment, that his actions had been sexually motivated or of a sexual nature.

Mr Feeney has been banned from teaching at any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation, or children’s home in England indefinitely.

The school was invited to comment.