The paedophile brother of TV presenter Phillip Schofield has been sacked from his police job following his conviction for child sex offences.
Timothy Schofield (54) was convicted of 11 sexual offences involving a child between October 2016 and October 2019, including two of sexual activity with a child, after a trial at Exeter Crown Court.
He worked for Avon and Somerset Police as an IT worker and has now been sacked by the force.
Schofield, from Bath, was suspended from his job at police HQ in Portishead after he was arrested and charged.
Following his convictions, a misconduct hearing was chaired by Assistant Chief Constable Will White and he was dismissed without notice.
Mr White, in outlining the findings of the panel, said: “Timothy Schofield committed a series of manipulative and exploitative offences against someone in a position of vulnerability.
“The details and impact of his criminality were distressing to read for the panel, as they would be for members of the public.
“The panel is grateful for the courage shown by the victim and all those who provided information and evidence to the investigation team, which resulted in him being brought to justice for these abhorrent crimes.
“Timothy Schofield’s position as a member of a police organisation makes his responsibility all the greater in terms of his offending behaviour. The harm he’s caused has been serious and extensive.
“His criminal conviction undermines the public’s trust and confidence in the police service and its employees who work tirelessly to build that trust, particularly at this time of national scrutiny.”
Schofield was convicted earlier this month by a jury at Exeter Crown Court of 11 offences and will be sentenced in May.
He had told the jury he watched pornography with the boy, whom he insisted was over the age of 16 at that time, and they had masturbated while sitting apart, but denied performing sexual acts on the teenager.
Jurors heard previously the defendant told his elder brother Phillip in September 2021 that he and the complainant had watched pornography together.
In a statement released by his lawyer after the guilty verdict, the This Morning host said: “My overwhelming concern is and has always been for the wellbeing of the victim and his family. I hope that their privacy will now be respected.
“If any crime had ever been confessed to me by my brother, I would have acted immediately to protect the victim and their family.
“These are despicable crimes, and I welcome the guilty verdicts. As far as I am concerned, I no longer have a brother.”
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/, or visit Rape Crisis Help.
In the case of an emergency, always dial 999/112.
