David Kemp, of Worcester, had X-rated web talk while deputy head at Bromyard school
SHAME: David Kemp, pictured back in two thousand fifteen in his role as director of music at St Stephens Church, in Barbourne, Worcester
A DISGRACED deputy headteacher from Worcester attempted to incite a ‘adorable’ boy he thought was fourteen years old to carry out hookup acts on webcam.
David Kemp, since retired as a deputy headteacher at Queen Elizabeth Humanities College in Bromyard, encouraged the boy to perform hook-up acts on himself during x-rated webcam talks.
The 58-year-old of Vauxhall Street, Rainbow Hill, Worcester had been made an MBE and has been a member of the choir at St Stephen’s Church in Barbourne, Worcester.
He admitted attempting to incite the boy who later exposed he was 16, not 14, to take part in sexual activity when he appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Friday to be sentenced.
Kemp, also an organist and director of music, only admitted the offence on the day of trial so that the boy arrived at court expecting to give evidence in a trial on June 7. Because of Kemp’s switch of prayer the witness did not have to give evidence which prosecutor Tariq Bin Shakoor said was a source of ease to him.
The offence took place in March two thousand thirteen and came to light when police seized the computer of the 16-year-old, now aged 20, when they were investigating him in relation to an alleged offence.
It was as a result of this they discovered the conversations inbetween Kemp and the 16-year-old. He told Kemp he was 14.
Mr Shakoor said: "He replied that he didn’t mind because he was ‘adorable’."
Mr Shakoor said because the boy was not a child at the time it made it an ‘attempt’ rather than the ‘utter offence’. Conversations than began on Skype inbetween them with Kemp exposing individual details about himself, telling the youth he was a deputy head.
"He said he did music and worked with youthful boys and twinks and went on to say it was hard to control himself when he spotted 11-year-old students."
Kemp said it was ‘fantasy’ under the influence of alcohol. During webcam talks he told the 16-year-old he liked ‘sucking toes’. The two would perform lovemaking acts on themselves while looking at each other however they never actually met. Kemp voiced a wish to meet him several times.
The youth later confessed he was sixteen and messages continued inbetween them. Inbetween March fifteen and April Legal, two thousand thirteen there were 1,589 messages exchanged however not all were of a sexual nature.
Kemp was arrested on May twenty six last year and claimed he had no recollection of sending the messages but in a 2nd interview on August twenty said he may well have been excited under the influence of alcohol.
The only aggravating feature was deemed to be the disparity in age.
Richard Hull, defending, described it as an isolated incident and said a significant amount of time had elapsed since the offence.
He said there was no file wiping software, suggested no other offences had occurred in the intervening period and said Kemp was ‘fighting with his sexiness’, his inhibitions diminished by alcohol.
Mr Hull also stressed that he had met the 16-year-old on an adult site and was not seeking out youthful people. However, he did not stop when told he was talking to a 14-year-old.
References were also produced on Kemp’s behalf, including from former students.
He said: "It’s a serious offence. He recognises that. It’s peculiar in its relatively isolated character."
Judge Nicholas Cole said: "There was no fourteen year old. There was no child victim in the sense one often has in such cases."
However, he said it was serious because Kemp had carried on sexual activity when he believed the boy was 14.
He recognised that Kemp was of previous good character and had no previous convictions, awarded the MBE for services to education.
"All of that credit for an otherwise worthwhile life has to an extent been lost. You have lost your good character and your good name" he said.
Judge Cole sentenced him to twelve months in prison but suspended the sentence for two years. A sexual harm prevention order was made which places certain limitations on him.
For example he is prohibited from having a device capable of accessing the internet unless it retains the search history. He must not delete that history and must make such a device available to a police officer on request.
He must notify police of any switch in his circumstances, such as his address, for ten years. Kemp must have no unsupervised contact with a child under the age of sixteen other than what is inadvertent or unavoidable in the course of daily life.
He must also accomplish up to thirty days of a rehabilitation activity requirement and pay £1,200 costs.
The Queen Elizabeth Humanities College declined to comment.