A teacher who engaged in a sexual relationship with a former student from a school where he received training has been permanently barred from teaching. Benjamin Steven Hiscox, now 34 years old, encouraged the student, referred to as Pupil A, to select a sex toy for him to purchase before her parents discovered their interactions.
The incident occurred during Hiscox’s training at Madras College in St Andrews, where Pupil A was a student at that time. Hiscox was a math teacher at South Nottinghamshire Academy in Radcliffe on Trent when allegations arose regarding his inappropriate relationship with a former student from the Scottish school.
Following the awareness of the relationship by the student’s parents, Police Scotland initially investigated the matter, leading to a referral to the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA).
According to a report released by the TRA on October 24, Pupil A began following Hiscox on Instagram, which escalated into sexual conversations culminating in a meeting at a hotel in October 2022. Hiscox sent explicit videos to Pupil A, leading to sexual encounters during their hotel stay.
Despite claiming not to have known Pupil A’s age or her former student status, Hiscox acknowledged engaging in sexual conversations and encounters with her. The TRA panel determined that Hiscox orchestrated the hotel meeting and encouraged Pupil A to wear her school uniform during their encounters.
Hiscox and Pupil A had planned another meeting, but it was thwarted when Pupil A informed her parents about meeting a teacher. Hiscox also admitted to buying a sex toy at Pupil A’s request.
The TRA found Hiscox’s actions to be sexually motivated and permanently banned him from teaching in England due to his lack of remorse and insight into his behavior. The decision maker, David Oakley, highlighted Hiscox’s quick progression of conversations to a sexual nature and his failure to pause and reflect on his actions, posing a risk to students’ well-being.
While no criminal charges were filed by Police Scotland due to the student’s age and the timing of the relationship, Hiscox’s employment at South Nottinghamshire Academy was terminated in May 2023. Mirror Online has reached out to South Nottinghamshire Academy, Redhill Academy Trust, and Police Scotland for comments.