Phillip Schofield’s brother sacked from police job after conviction for child sex offences

The brother of Phillip Schofield has been sacked from his police job following his conviction for child sex offences.

Timothy Schofield was charged with 11 sexual offences, including two of sexual activity with a child, between October 2016 and October 2019.

Jurors at Exeter Crown Court found the 54-year-old guilty of all counts after more than five-and-a-half hours of deliberations earlier this month.

Schofield, from Bath, had worked for Avon and Somerset Police as an IT worker and has now been dismissed by the force.

He was suspended from his job at police HQ in Portishead after he was arrested and charged.

Assistant Chief Constable Will White chaired a misconduct hearing following Schofield’s conviction, and he was dismissed without notice.

Outlining the findings of the panel, Mr White 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.”

He added: “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, who will be sentenced in May, denied performing sex acts on the teenager, but told the jury he watched porn with the boy and they had masturbated while sitting apart.

He insisted the boy was over 16 at the time but admitted searching for terms on a legal pornography website including “young boy teen sex” and “gay teen torrents”.

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He told the court he believed this would return results showing men aged between 18 and their early 20s.

Jurors had previously heard how he told his elder brother Phillip in September 2021 that he and the complainant had watched pornography together.

Following the verdicts, Phillip Schofield branded his brother’s crimes “despicable” and said: “As far as I am concerned, I no longer have a brother.”

“My overwhelming concern is and has always been for the wellbeing of the victim and his family,” the TV star said.

“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.”