Teacher who starred in hit Channel 4 show charged with string of sex offences including making indecent image of child

A TEACHER who appeared on a hit Channel 4 show has been charged with a string of sex offences.

Assistant head Gareth Ritter, 43, appeared at Cardiff Magistrates' Court accused of sexual assault.

Ritter, who appeared on Educating Cardiff, is also charged with two counts of making an indecent image of a child and one count of distributing an indecent image of a child.

He is due to face trial at Cardiff Crown Court in November this year.

The alleged offences took place between May 2015 and July 2015 - a month before the TV show aired.

Ritter worked as a music teacher and assistant head while starring in the fly-on-the-wall series, which followed the highs and lows of life at Willows High School.

In 2013, he won the Pearson award for innovative use of technology.

The Education Workforce Council website says Ritter has been handed an interim suspension from the teaching register.

Ebbw Valley Brass said Ritter - a four-time Welsh conductor of the year - had resigned "due to personal reasons".

Educating Cardiff was the fourth series of the Channel 4 documentary show.

Other instalments included Educating Essex and Educating Yorkshire.

The Cardiff series featured eight episodes and aired between August 2015 and October 2015.

Ritter was praised on the show for use of technology in the classroom.