Prolific padeophile teacher Nigel Leat who preyed on schoolgirls remains behind bars as his parole bid is rejected

ONE of Britain’s most horrific pedophiles will remain behind bars after his bid for freedom was rejected by the Parole Board.

Nigel Leat, 63, was given an indefinite sentence in 2011 he was convicted of abusing five girls while they were a teacher in Somerset.

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As many as 40 children are said to have been targeted by Leat and he even filmed some of the attacks that took place during the lessons.

He admitted 36 offences, including attempted rape of a child and sexual assault, while working as a teacher at Hillside First School in Weston-super-Mare.

Dad-of-two Leat identified ‘star students’ and showered them with gifts before abusing them in one-on-one reading sessions.

He also allegedly harassed girls as young as six while they were reading during class.

a Parole board A hearing based on written documents on March 12 concluded that the panel was “not satisfied that release at this point would be safe for the protection of the public.”

He was released for the first time jail in 2020, but was recalled in 2021 after violating his license.

Vile Leat was found to have “accessed material on the Internet related to his ongoing sexual interest in children.”

After he was returned to prison, troubling items were found in his cell.

The recent hearing looked at victim impact statements about the consequences of Leat’s horrific offending.

A risk assessment found that “concerns have been raised about Mr Leat’s behavior since his return to prison”.

He is said to be working towards rehabilitation behind bars, but this will “take a long time”.

Leat, also known by the last name Russell, was supposed to hold a public hearing, but his lawyers successfully argued that it should be heard based on written documents.

A spokesperson for the Parole Board said: “We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board has refused the release of Nigel Leat following a paper judgement. The panel also declined to make a proposal to open the prison.

“Decisions made by the Parole Board focus solely on the risk an inmate might represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.

“A panel will carefully examine a large number of pieces of evidence, including details of the original crimeand any evidence of change in behaviour, and examines the harm caused and the impact the crime has had on the victims.

“A parole review is conducted thoroughly and with the utmost care. Protecting the public is our first priority.

“Under current legislation, he will be eligible for further assessment in due course. The date of the next one assessment will be set by the Department of Justice.”