“He looked me in the eye and told me not to worry, he had a PVG check.”
These are the words of one Arbroath mother who spoke to The Courier in the wake of the Morgan Prior scandal which has left many asking: “Where were the checks?”
Prior, 33, was convicted in Dundee this month of rape and sexual assault, following a week-long trial.
The sex offender was employed by children’s mental health charity Place2Be two months AFTER first appearing in court charged with six allegations of rape, attempted rape and sexual assault — one of which alleged the molestation of a 16-year-old.
Prior was cleared of the sexual assault involving the teenager but now faces years behind bars after being found guilty of other charges.
He continued to work up until his trial date with his employer knowing nothing of the matter until his conviction, when he was summarily dismissed.
However, it remains unclear how he was able to get the job in the first place and how he could stay in schools, interacting with children after being accused of sex crimes.
Mother’s nightmare
One mother contacted us following Prior’s conviction and the revelation he was allowed to work with children in Angus even after his initial court appearance.
After appearing in private at Dundee Sheriff Court accused of the heinous crimes, he was released on bail.
Her daughter later received counselling from Prior at an Angus high school.
The mother, who has asked to remain anonymous, said she initially felt uneasy about leaving her vulnerable child — who lives with stress and anxiety — with a male counsellor.
She said Prior – who takes part in historical re-enactments – looked her in the eyes and told her he had been given a clean PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Group) check – the mandatory security screening to ensure people are fit to work with children
She said: “He must be some actor.
“He told me not to worry, I believed him.
“I had opened up to him and told him I was anxious about my daughter being on her own with a male mental health counsellor.
“He reassured me, she continued to see him.
“We, of course, had no idea about his court appearance or bail.”
Internal investigation
Place2Be, which counts the future Queen among its patrons, said they learned of the charges only on his conviction and no safeguarding issues had been raised before he got the job in April 2021.
Their statement went on: “In line with all organisations, our employees are required to give truthful answers to the questions put to them at interview and application stage, and to inform their employer if they are charged with any offence.
“This individual did not disclose this information.
“We are continuing to look into the matter to identify any learnings for the future.
“We have notified the Charity Commission and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) of this incident.”
Booked leave for trial
The concerned mother said: “All we have been given is an email from Place2Be, which was word-for-word the statement they sent to the press.
“I now have no faith in Place2Be whatsoever.
“The email was shocking. I feel so let down.
“All they have offered is that if we are upset, we can contact a team leader.
“I want to know what investigations they are going to be carrying out.
“I want to know why he was allowed into schools after these allegations were made.”
Prior, she said, was working in the school and with her daughter right up until the beginning of June — dates which coincide with the start of his trial.
It has emerged Prior booked leave for the end of May and beginning of June, the period covering his court case.
He informed neither the school, those he counselled or his employer he was due in court.
What Disclosure Scotland should have known
For Prior to be given a job by Place2Be to work in schools, he must have completed a PVG check.
Disclosure Scotland explain the PVG check thus:
The PVG scheme is for people doing regulated work with children and protected adults.
A PVG certificate contains all unspent and certain spent conviction information.
It also contains any other non-conviction information that the police or other government bodies think is relevant.
Disclosure Scotland continually monitors PVG scheme members’ records for any vetting information that may affect their suitability to work with vulnerable groups.
This includes any criminal convictions.
So it was the responsibility of the police to inform Disclosure Scotland of Prior’s relevant pre-conviction information.
We asked Disclosure Scotland the following questions about how Prior was able to slip through their net.
Why was Prior’s bail and court appearance not picked up in relevant PVG checks?
Why was he allowed to continue working as a counsellor with children until his conviction?
Is an allegation of sexual assault and rape not enough to see at least a suspension of eligibility to work with children and in schools?
The Scottish Government-run organisation replied: “Ministers are aware and concerned by the recent media reports into this case.
“While we cannot comment on individual cases, everyone recognises the seriousness of the matters reported.
“The operation of the PVG Scheme requires a number of parties to work together, including Police Scotland.
“Ministers are keen to understand how the system as a whole worked here, and what lessons can be learned for the future.”
Questions for Police Scotland
It is understood Police Scotland did not pass the information on to the government agency.
We asked Police Scotland:
Would bail conditions, imposed on someone accused of six sexually aggravated crimes, not be flagged to Disclosure Scotland by police, or deemed relevant as part of a disclosure check/ PVG regardless of conviction or not?
Can Police Scotland say if his bail order was flagged (to Disclosure Scotland) at any point after February 2021, when he was placed on the order?
A spokesman for the force said: “It would be inappropriate to comment on any individual case, however, Police Scotland provides information to Disclosure Scotland based on proportionality, relevance, human rights and potential risks to other vulnerable groups.”
Government oversight
The Scottish Government was also approached.
Minister for Children and Young People, Natalie Don MSP, has oversight and responsibility for Disclosure Scotland.
They refused to answer our questions, which were:
What will the minister be doing about this particular case to make sure something like this does not happen again?
Will she be instructing Disclosure Scotland to conduct full inquiries into how this happened?
Does the Minister have confidence in how Disclosure Scotland is currently operating, and the PVG check programme?
Moves to remove registration
Prior was also registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
As a non-regulatory body, it is only responsible for accrediting qualifications of counsellors to show time-served in education.
Prior is still on the register but it is understood motions are in place to have him removed, via the organisation’s internal review process.
A spokesperson for the organisation said: “We are aware that court proceedings in this case have concluded.
“It’s now being taken forward through our own conduct procedures as a matter of priority so that we can take appropriate action.”
Polyamorous relationships
Prior was convicted of sexual assault of one former partner and the oral rape of another following a week-long trial at the High Court in Dundee.
On the morning of his trial, he posted a link on Facebook to a documentary in which he appeared and boasted about being in a polyamorous relationship.
Under a rambling statement about it causing him trouble, he signed off with: “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.”
He was convicted hours later, placed on the Sex Offenders Register and remanded, pending sentence.
Prior, of Wards Avenue, Carnoustie, was told by a judge: “It is not remotely possible a non-custodial sentence will follow.”
- This article has been amended to change the description of the alleged victim of the not proven sexual assault from “child” to “16-year-old”.
While our original article was in line with the Scottish Court and Tribunal Service’s interpretation of charge one of the indictment faced by Prior, The Courier is happy to offer this clarification. The allegation was found not proven after trial. Prior is serving a 40-month jail sentence after being convicted of separate counts of rape and sexual assault, and is on the Sex Offenders Register for an indefinite period.
