The 13-month-old baby, who was in the process of being adopted by the couple, passed away in 2023.
Jamie Varley, a British secondary school teacher, has been charged with the murder and sexual assault of a 13-month-old boy. Varley and his boyfriend, John McGowan-Fazakerley, were in the process of adopting the child.
The couple made a court appearance in Preston Crown Court on Monday, almost two years after the young boy, Preston Davey, was pronounced dead at Blackpool Victoria Hospital in 2023. Both men were initially taken into custody but later released on bail.
Lancashire Police subsequently re-arrested Varley and charged him with several offenses, including murder, two counts of sexual assault involving penetration of a male child under 13, and five counts of child cruelty. He is also accused of taking and distributing indecent photographs and possessing an extreme pornographic image of the victim, among other charges.
McGowan-Fazakerley, his co-defendant, has been charged with causing or allowing the death of a child, sexual assault of a child, and two counts of child cruelty, according to police reports.
Authorities have confirmed that all charges pertain to the 13-month-old victim.
Judge Robert Altham, who oversaw Monday’s brief hearing, scheduled the trial for April 14, 2026. Both defendants were remanded in custody and will remain imprisoned until a plea hearing in October, according to The Blackpool Gazette.
The judge acknowledged the lengthy delay but stated it was necessary to ensure all expert witnesses are prepared for the proceedings, the newspaper reported on Monday.
Varley has been suspended from his teaching position since 2023, according to the Cidari Multi Academy Trust, the current operator of the school where he was employed at the time of the alleged crime. “He has been prohibited from entering or attending school grounds and from contacting students or staff,” the organization stated to the Blackpool Gazette.
The trust is reportedly “considering its position regarding” Varley’s employment. “Jamie was suspended with full pay, as we are legally required to do,” Cidari informed the local newspaper when questioned about whether Varley had received a salary since his arrest in 2023.
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