Sacked Rutherglen social worker denies wrongdoing

A SACKED Rutherglen social worker who used official email to send a Gary Glitter ‘joke’ photo showing the convicted sex offender ‘smuggling’ an Asian child through an airport has denied any wrongdoing.

Charles Devlin, a social worker of 27 years, was sacked after sending the shocking email to friends and colleagues at Royal Burgh House in Rutherglen’s King Street.

Devlin, of South Lanarkshire Council’s childcare team, also sent a string of “racist, homophobic, discriminatory, and sexually explicit” e-mails from his work computer, appalling his bosses.

Mr Devlin (53), was suspended alongside 13 colleagues at the council over the e-mail controversy, and later lost his job.

Now, he faces a string of professional misconduct charges and the prospect of being banned from working in the profession ever again.

At a Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) conduct hearing in Dundee last week he admitted sending five “offensive” emails, including one depicting Gary Glitter under an airport ‘Duty Free’ sign and holding a plastic bag with a small Oriental child poking out of the top.

Devlin also sent an email showing naked homosexuals in bed and questioning whether it was appropriate for same sex couples to adopt children.

In response to that email, he wrote to a colleague that it would “cause havoc wi’ the pc lezers!!!!!!!!”

While he admits sending the correspondence, and that certain emails contained “inappropriate content”, he denies that it amounted to misconduct.

The prosecuting solicitor advocate for SSSC, Robert Carr, argued that while some emails might have been seen as satirical at the time of sending, they had a “larger consequence” for Devlin in his position as a social worker.

Jim Wilson, 56, head of Adult and Older People Services at South Lanarkshire Council, sacked Devlin over the incident.

During an investigation of Devlin’s work computer, it was discovered that during August 2008, he had sent more than 800 non-work related emails to both internal and external sources.

Mr Wilson told the SSSC conduct hearing board in Dundee last week that 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 at all times.”

Asked by Mr Carr his reaction when he saw the Gary Glitter email sent by Devlin, 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 in any way humorous and if someone in social work did, then I would seriously question their suitability to be able to practice.

“It completely flies in the face of what you would expect of someone working in social work.”

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

One of the most alarming emails showed an image of a young boy with the superimposed torso of an adult male.

Mr Wilson said: “On its own, it could be seen as relatively innocent, but in its context, in this particular group of emails where some are sexually explicit, it’s even more inappropriate.

“That photograph would be attractive to a paedophile.”

One email featured a picture of a black child accompanied by a caption that Wilson found “racist” and “derogatory of illegal immigrants.”

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

Wilson added: “If Mr Devlin, at this stage, fails to recognise that his conduct fell short of the standard required of a social worker, 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 that the Gary Glitter e-mail caused the most offence, sparking a probe that uncovered the other emails.

The hearing continues on Friday, June 4.