A FORMER primary school music tutor chatted sexually online with who he believed was a 13-year-old girl. 

Lawrence Levin, 70, has been banned from teaching and any role within education for life after a Teaching Regulations Agency (TRA) hearing on March 13 this year.

The report from the hearing, published on Tuesday, said in January 2019 Levin engaged in an online chat with someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl.

Court records show it was a “sexualised chat”, where Levin discussed sexual acts and intimated he was “masturbating at the time”.

It turned out the “girl” was an undercover police officer and Levin was arrested, according to the TRA report.

He pleaded guilty to intentionally attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification on February 24, 2021, and was convicted at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on April 19 that year.

The report said Levin was sentenced with a community order, placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register, and made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years.

Levin was working for Roundhay Music at the time of the offence and the not-for-profit organisation had a contract in place to provide music tutoring to pupils at a primary school in Leeds. 

Roundhay Music said Levin had an up-to-date enhanced DBS disclosure at the time of the offence.

He was let go in Spring 2019.

A spokesperson for Roundhay Music said: “The offence that Mr Levin committed was an online offence and not connected with self-employed tuition work that he undertook under his contract with Roundhay Music.

“Mr Levin had an up-to-date enhanced DBS disclosure at the time and complied with our safeguarding policy.

“As soon as we were made aware of his offence, his work with us ceased.”

The panel said: “Engaging in the offence for which Mr Levin was convicted preys on the vulnerable and fuels an industry that exploits children.”

The report said there was no evidence as to Levin’s record as a teacher or to show he demonstrated “exceptionally high standards in both his personal and professional conduct or of having contributed significantly to the education sector”.

But it noted he showed a “degree of insight and remorse into his offending”.

The report said: “Mr Levin had stated to the panel that he was grateful that a real child was not harmed by his offence.

“The panel noted this showed a degree of insight into the impact his actions may have had, had the person been a real child and not a police officer.”

The Secretary of State deemed a prohibition order appropriate, banning Levin from teaching in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation, or children’s home in England.

Levin will not be able to apply for the restoration of his eligibility to teach due to the “seriousness of the allegations found proved against him”.