Carol Ann White

Carol Ann White, a 39-year-old teacher from Uddingston in South Lanarkshire, was sentenced to three years in prison at Airdrie Sheriff Court after being found guilty of serious sexual offences against two primary schoolboys. The offences occurred between August 2018 and May 2020 while White was employed at two different schools in North Lanarkshire. She had denied the charges but was convicted by a jury after a seven-day trial, with the deliberation taking just over an hour.

The case came to light during the first Covid-19 lockdown when concerns arose about White texting a 12-year-old boy. Police launched an investigation, analysing their phones and discovering 1,185 messages exchanged over a three-week period. Evidence presented in court included White asking the boy to touch himself intimately during FaceTime calls and sending him revealing photos of herself. The boy, who has special educational needs, further revealed in police interviews that White had kissed him on the lips approximately 50 times during a school trip to an outdoor activity centre near Oban in Argyll. He also described incidents where White groped him while watching the film Titanic and forced his hand down the front of her trousers.

The investigation extended to an 11-year-old boy who reported that White had kissed him on the lips in a school store cupboard. In subsequent interviews, he detailed how White held his head against her groin and rubbed him with her breasts. White, a mother of two, had earlier pleaded guilty to possessing eight indecent images of the 12-year-old boy. Despite her conviction, she continued to deny any sexual activity took place.

Sheriff Morag Shankland, in passing sentence, emphasised the gravity of White's actions, stating: There is no sentence this court can impose which can in any way alleviate the harm you have caused to the children involved and the court wishes to commend the bravery of those children and their parents for the way they gave evidence. You have been convicted of a serious breach of trust and you have shown absolutely no remorse for these actions. The only appropriate sentence is one of imprisonment. White was placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely and will be on licence for 18 months upon release, as the sheriff ruled she posed a risk to the public. She wept in court as the sentence was delivered.

Following the hearing, the mother of the 11-year-old victim expressed relief but highlighted ongoing concerns, saying: I'm just glad she got jailed. Concerns had been raised in the school about her being overly familiar with pupils but yet she was allowed to move on and target a vulnerable boy. The whole thing is shocking and I feel as if I've had no support for the last two years. Derek Brown, deputy chief executive of North Lanarkshire Council, described the case as an appalling abuse of trust by someone who exploited her position and carried out a targeted, predatory campaign to betray two vulnerable children who should have felt safe and supported in her care. The council extended thoughts to the affected young people and their families.

This case, reported by the BBC, underscores the profound betrayal of trust in educational settings and the importance of safeguarding vulnerable children. Police Scotland handled the investigation, leading to White's arrest and prosecution.