UK Regulator Bans Its Own Staffer Following Child Abuse Conviction
The person was a former paralegal at the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
April 30, 2020 at 11:52 AM
2 minute read
Solicitors Regulation Authority
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has banned one of its former paralegals after he was convicted of a sexual offense against a minor in Crown Court last summer, a filing has revealed.
Christopher Walker, otherwise known as Christopher Jones, was a paralegal employed by the SRA, who last July was convicted "of two counts of attempting to cause a female aged 13 or over to engage in sexual activity" and of "and 2 counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child", according to the SRA's filing.
The offences were committed in an online environment, and do not relate to imagery or photographs, but to conversations.
Walker was sentenced to 27 months imprisonment. He was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years under section 103 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
At the time of commission of the offences, Walker was "involved in a legal practice as a paralegal under the direction and supervision of a solicitor."
The regulator said in the filing that it "is of the opinion that it would be undesirable for Mr Walker to be involved in a legal practice".
The SRA declined to comment. Walker was not reachable for comment.
Last month, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) took away a Capsticks lawyer's right to practise and ordered her to pay £10,000 in costs after she lost a briefcase containing sensitive SRA documents and lied about them being at her home.
The lawyer has now launched an appeal against her conviction at the U.K. high court appeal against her conviction, and has started a crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe to cover potential legal costs of the appeal and costs ordered by the SDT.
Read more:
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