Social worker leaves boss stunned with flood of hateful messages

A SACKED social worker has been branded “appalling” by bosses after sending an email showing shamed pop star Gary Glitter smuggling a child through customs in a Duty Free bag.

Charles Devlin sent the sick joke among a string of “racist, homophobic, discriminatory, and sexually explicit” messages to friends. In one month, he sent more than 800 non-work emails.

South Lanarkshire Council worker Devlin also sent an email showing naked men in bed together and questioning whether it was appropriate for same sex couples to adopt children.

He wrote to a colleague that it would “cause havoc wi’ the pc lezzers!” in an offensive jibe apparently referring to politically correct lesbians.

Devlin, a social worker of 27 years, was sacked after sending the shocking Glitter email to friends and colleagues. It was discovered that during the month of August 2008, he had sent more than 800 non-work-related emails to both internal and external sources.

The 53-year-old faces a string of professional misconduct charges and could be banned from working in the profession again.

At a Scottish Social Services Council tribunal last week, Jim Wilson, 56, head of Adult and Older People Services at South Lanarkshire Council, said he was “appalled” by Devlin’s conduct.

He said: “If we are to protect some of the most vulnerable people in society, then it is crucial that social workers have the highest standards of behaviour and attitude.”

Asked about his reaction when he saw the Gary Glitter email, he replied: “My immediate reaction was one of horror.

“Here was a known sex offender with a child in a carry bag and for someone to see this as appropriate I find just unbelievable.

“I did not find it humorous and if someone in social work did, I would seriously question their suitability to be able to practise.”

He labelled other emails as “homophobic”, “offensive”, “totally inappropriate”, “derogatory of women” and “sexually explicit”.

One of the most alarming showed an image of a young boy with the superimposed torso of an adult male. Another featured a picture of a black child with a caption that Wilson found “racist”.

He also raised concerns that Devlin, who is from Glasgow and currently unemployed and on sickness benefits, cannot see where he was at fault.

Wilson added: “If he, at this stage, fails to recognise his conduct fell short of the standard required, having gone through the disciplinary process as well as everything else, I would be very concerned.”

Devlin’s former boss, Brenda Hutchinson, told the hearing panel the Gary Glitter email caused the most offence, sparking the probe.

The hearing continues.