Leading Church Music Composer And Respected Private School Teacher Secretly Collected Child Porn

One of the country's leading composer's of church music, who also taught at several top private schools - including one attended by Nigella Lawson and Kate Beckinsale - has received a suspended prison sentence after a police raid seized child pornography at his suburban home.

Cambridge University-educated John Barnard, 66, a fellow of the Royal College of Organists and associate of the Royal School of Church Music led a "tortured" secret double-life, Harrow Crown Court heard.

"It must be a humiliating experience for a man of your background to find himself before the courts," Judge Jeremy Barklem told Barnard, who taught German and French at the £18,000 a year all-girls Godolphin & Latymer school, Hammersmith.

"You are a cultured, educated, highly intelligent man, respected and loved by many and dedicated to church music, but also tortured by a publicly-repressed sexuality and an interest in images of young men that's never been expressed physically."

He was deputy head for fifteen years at £16,000 a year John Lyon boys school, Harrow, where he organised and led trips to Switzerland and went on to also teach at the co-ed £29,000 a year Aldenham boarding school, Elstree.

Barnard, of Queens Walk, Harrow, who has directed music for BBC Radio 2's Sunday Half Hour and in 2006 was a judge for a BBC hymn-writing competition was sentenced to four months imprisonment, suspended for eighteen months, and must attend 60 days 'one to one' counselling.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children and one count of possessing indecent photographs, which relate to twenty-nine pictures found in a chest of drawers in his bedroom.

The court heard there were a total of 118 images at category C; 13 at category B and 16 at category A - the most serious, which usually involves children being sexually abused.

The vast majority of the images depicted boys aged between fourteen and sixteen years-old.

Barnard presented two references to the court, one from a retired senior police officer and another from a barrister and member of the Bar Choral Society, who as a boy was a chorister taught by the defendant.

Prosecutor Miss Kate Blumgart told the court Barnard answered his door to police dressed in his pyjamas at 6.30am on May 13, last year and immediately admitted there were images on his computer.

Further printed images were found in the chest of drawers, which he admitted printing from his computer. "He said they were his and he had forgotten them.

"Officers also visited John Keble Church, Edgware, where Mr. Barnard was head of the choir, but nothing was found there. He is currently suspended from his role there."

His lawyer Miss Maria Dineen said: "Mr. Barnard is thoroughly ashamed of the conduct that brings him to court. He was aware that what he was doing was wrong, but was too embarrassed and fearful of the consequences to seek help.

"What has been a pretty solitary life for him up to now has been opened up and he has confided in others and he has sought out professional help.

"He accepts the damage that was done to the children in these images and his risk of reoffending and harm is low.

"There is no evidence he has acted upon his predilection or offers any threat of contact offending and he has dedicated his life to some sort of public service.

"He has always been regarded as a kind, caring individual. The loss of his good character alone is itself a considerable regret."

Barnard was also made subject to a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and must sign the sex offenders register for seven years.

He has been a successful composer, arranger, choir director and organist and sits on the council of the Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland and has been director of music at Emmanuel Church, Northwood; St. Alban's Church, North Harrow and St. John the Evangelist Church, Stanmore.

Barnard has composed and published over fifty original hymns, which are sung all over the world and contributes to and helps assemble publications including 'Hymns for Today's Church', Carols for Today' and Psalms for Today'.