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Social worker struck off over teenagers' topless photos
04.08.09
A senior social worker who targeted vulnerable teenage girls by encouraging them to pose topless or nude for bogus modelling agencies was struck off today.
Christopher Hardman, 55, from Batley, West Yorkshire, abused his position at Kirklees Metropolitan Council (KMC) where he was a youth offending team manager, by obtaining files and contact details of several young women, a conduct hearing at the General Social Care Council was told.
He concealed his identity, contacting the girls with text messages and letters using a number of aliases and claiming to work for a legitimate modelling agency.
At the hearing in central London, which Hardman chose not to attend, chairman of the committee Sarah Phillips said he had committed a "gross breach" of trust and must be struck off the register of social workers.
She said: "This was an elaborate and sophisticated scheme deliberately targeting young women, the majority of whom were service users and two of whom were vulnerable.
"It amounted to a sustained course of misconduct during which the registrant was at pains to conceal his involvement.
"Moreover it was a significant abuse of power and was behaviour wholly incompatible with his status as a social worker.
"The committee regarded this misconduct as at the top end of the scale of seriousness.
"The public is entitled to be protected and to expect to be protected against conduct of this nature.
"The committee took the view that public confidence would be severely shaken if such conduct did not result in removal."
The committee heard that Hardman, who did not attend the photo shoots, thought to persuade four young women who had been in contact with the young offending team, to pose topless or nude for money, with £120 offered for a full naked shoot.
The women were identified only as letters, with the youngest aged just 15 when she was first approached.
The committee heard that Hardman contacted a total of six young women, with all but one agreeing to attend a photo shoot and two posing topless.
The chair said: "The facts amounted to a gross breach of trust by the registrant.
"He used information available to him through his employment to obtain contacts or other details of four young women and thought to persuade them nude or topless for money.
"He deliberately concealed his true identity to pretend he was a legitimate modelling agency and to obtain their trust.
"Four of these young women were service users known to the youth offending team which he led."
