Coleg Gwent teacher given suspended prison sentence for sexual images

A university lecturer has been given a suspended prison sentence after admitting sharing sexual images with a ‘vulnerable’ former student.

Ian Powell, 60, was seen as a ‘father figure’ by the young woman but their relationship turned sexual after she left classes at Coleg Gwent.

Newport Crown Court heard he had received photos and videos of the young woman.

Seven of them were in the most serious category and one video showed the young woman using a sex toy Powell had bought for her.

The court heard he kissed the girl in a local park when youths shouted ‘pedo’ at him.

Coleg Gwent became aware of the relationship and police launched an investigation.

Powell, from Bettws, Monmouthshire, was arrested in December 2023 when police found two Category A videos and five Category A images on his electronic devices.

Eight category B images and 32 category C images were also found.

In a victim personal statement read out to the court, the young woman said she thought she “messed up” when she revealed what happened between her and her former mentor.

She wrote: ‘I felt guilty for getting someone in trouble.

“I didn’t realize how serious it was. I thought it would go away.

“People kept saying it wasn’t my fault.”

A further 40 images fell into categories B and C. Powell admitted indecent images of children in three cases.

Judge Shomon Khan told him: “You were preparing her for something else. She was clearly vulnerable given her circumstances and age.

“The victim was not to blame, she was still a child. Only you are to blame.”

The judge added: ‘Your career has been destroyed. You deserve that. You put your sexual needs above the girl’s well-being.

‘I don’t understand why you acted like that. It’s a complete mystery to me.’

Powell will also have to complete 30 rehabilitation days and 150 hours of unpaid work.

He will also have to pay court costs and a victim surcharge totaling £337.

Monique McKevitt of the Crown Prosecution (CPS) said: “It is a criminal offense to access indecent images of someone under the age of 18 and this only perpetuates the sexual exploitation of children.

“Ian Powell was aware of the victim’s age but continued to exchange inappropriate messages of a sexual nature to satisfy his own sexual desires. As a university lecturer he knew this was wrong.”

Powell was sentenced to ten months in prison, suspended for two years.