Gary Pearce was jailed for five years in 2014 after he was found guilty of grooming and sexually abusing a teen boy he had met on Grindr.
He was released from prison in 2016 and soon met his partner Darryl, who he became engaged to in 2023.
But Gary’s past caught up with him in December that year when he was stopped by traffic police who found a phone which had not been registered with them as a requirement of his conviction.
On Tuesday, South London Coroner’s Court heard that Gary’s mental health then declined and died by suicide on his 50th birthday on February 23 last year.
Gary had been a Geography teacher when he sexually abused a boy who was 14.
Police were contacted by the parents of the boy after they found sexual messages on his phone.
Officers were told that in the summer of 2012 the victim had been in contact with Gary through the Grindr app and despite the victim informing Gary of his age, police said Gary “manipulated” the teen into meeting him in the car park of Asda in Bexleyheath.
They then went back to Gary’s home in Sidcup where he performed sex acts on the teen before dropping him back at the car park.
Following police being informed, Gary was arrested at his home on December 11, 2012.
Under interview Gary claimed his victim had told him that he was of the age of consent but made no comment to all other questions put to him.
Gary continued to deny the charges but was convicted of the offences in 2014 and was sentenced to five years in prison.
However, a friend said despite the circumstances Gary had weathered prison fairly well and he was released in 2016.
On his release he was subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) requiring him to register all internet enabled devices with the police.
On December 4, 2023, three months after becoming engaged, Gary was stopped by traffic police in Camden and an unregistered phone was discovered.
He was charged with breaching the SHPO and failing to comply with sex offenders register notification requirements.
A friend gave evidence that after Gary was released on bail he felt he could not keep his partner Darryl in the dark any longer and revealed what had happened as well as his past conviction.
Darryl was shocked but told Gary he would stand by him, the friend said.
Summarising medical notes from a treating clinician, assistant coroner Mr Collett said: “Gary’s concern was that people would always judge him. He was badly affected by the fallout of the accusations ten years ago.
“He had fears about his place in society if this would all be brought up again and that he was better off dead.”
Gary pleaded guilty to the charges at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on December 6 and the case was sent to Wood Green Crown Court for sentencing.
The court hearing was pushed back multiple times and was eventually due to take place in early March.
He had been signed off sick his work, where he had been managing a chain of bars across London.
On the morning of February 23 he was found unresponsive in the garage of his family home.
Assistant coroner Mr Collett noted that Gary had been “greatly distressed” by the court proceedings and recorded a conclusion of suicide.
