Teacher suspended in Internet child porn probe

A teacher has been suspended from one of Northern Ireland’s top grammar schools following a police probe into child pornography, it emerged today.

Ballymena Academy, Co Antrim, confirmed the move as police announced they had charged a man with offences relating to Internet paedophile pornography.

A spokesman at the school said: ‘‘Due to circumstances which have arisen, a precautionary suspension has been imposed on a member of staff.’’

The case is unconnected to the co-ordinated series of arrests made in Scotland and England today by police investigating Internet paedophilia in 19 countries.

A spokesman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland said: ‘‘A man has been charged with offences relating to Internet child pornography.

"He has been released on police bail to appear in court in Ballymena in December. A number of items were seized during a search of a house in Ballymena last week.’’