A court in Antwerp has sentenced a 62-year-old former substitute teacher to a 12-month suspended prison sentence for exposing students to inappropriate material during lessons.
The teacher showed nude photos of himself and his partner twice at school. He claimed the incidents were due to a "technical error" and that the images from his laptop were inadvertently projected during two consecutive lessons.
Following the repeated incidents, the school administration informed the police. Prosecutors argued that the acts were intentional, citing the teacher’s significant IT expertise as evidence.
The court found him guilty but opted for a suspended sentence with a probation period of five years.
What happened?
The incident occurred on 17 October 2024 during a Dutch language class. A group of 14-year-olds saw the nude photos on the digital classroom board, which the teacher quickly removed after approximately seven seconds. Witnesses said he appeared embarrassed and started blushing.
During the break, the incident quickly spread among students. Later, in another classroom with a different group of 14-year-olds, the teacher showed the same nude images again.
Some of these students had heard about the earlier incident and believed he displayed the photos intentionally, according to the prosecutor.
The teacher was summoned by the school’s management. He claimed it was accidental but offered his resignation, saying he wanted to take responsibility. He also stated he advocates for "ethically responsible pornography".
The school reported the incident to the police, and he was arrested and held overnight but later released under conditions, including a temporary teaching ban.
