A primary school teacher who downloaded extreme pornography involving animals has been banned from the profession.

Gavin Marsh, who taught at Salmestone Primary School in Margate, was found to have 40 of the explicit images on his phone.

The 33-year-old dad, who police tracked to his Herne Bay home using his IP address, was employed by the school from 2014 until February of last year.

Described as “of previously good character”, Mr Marsh was due to face a misconduct panel earlier this month but failed to appear.

In an email to the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA), he explained that the investigation had led him to develop post-traumatic stress disorder and that he would no longer be engaging in the process.

After deliberating, the panel made the decision to proceed with the hearing in his absence.

The TRA launched investigations into the sports coordinator after police contacted the school to inform them of his arrest.

In October 2021, Mr Marsh was charged with possession of extreme images showing acts of intercourse or oral sex with an animal, whether dead or alive.

He pleaded guilty to the offence on December 3 of the same year, at Margate Magistrates' Court.

The former Canterbury Christ Church student initially told police he joined groups on the Kik app, which specialised in bestiality porn, “out of curiosity”.

However, he changed his story in a later interview, saying the images on his phone were from groups that he had been added to without his knowledge or consent.

At his sentencing last January, Mr Marsh received a two-year conditional discharge for the offence.

In their decision, published on Friday, the TRA said: “Teachers uphold public trust in the profession and maintain high standards of ethics and behaviour, within and outside school, by not undermining fundamental British values, including the rule of law.

“Mr Marsh had been convicted of a criminal offence, relating to possessing extreme pornographic images of a person performing an act of intercourse with a live animal.

“This was contrary to the rule of law, the school’s policies and the statutory frameworks which set out a teacher’s professional duties and responsibilities.

“The panel was satisfied that the conduct of Mr Marsh fell significantly short of the standard of behaviour expected of a teacher.”

The ruling means he is banned from teaching indefinitely and cannot work in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.

The Secretary of State also chose to bar Mr Marsh from applying for restoration of his eligibility to teach due to the seriousness of the allegations found proved against him.

A spokesman for Salmestone Primary School said: “We can confirm that a former teacher at Salmestone Primary School has appeared before the Teaching Regulation Agency following a criminal conviction.

“The individual is no longer a member of staff at the school and has not attended the school since these allegations were raised in February 2021.

“He was dismissed from employment in February 2022 following his criminal conviction and subsequent disciplinary hearing.”