Suspended barrister warns over “innocent conversations about hobbies”

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Photography: Barrister’s “escape into an artistic world”

The barrister suspended for two years after showing his photography website to a woman and offering to take unclothed photos of her has said it was “an innocent discussion”.

Alan Wheetman described the decision as “a warning” to amateur photographers working in regulated professions.

We reported earlier this week that, according to the Bar Standards Board (BSB), a disciplinary tribunal found Mr Wheetman guilty of making “inappropriate comments and behaviour of a sexual nature made towards a female involved in a case he was instructed in at a magistrates’ court in August 2022”.

It explained: “Mr Wheetman showed his photography website to the individual, which included semi-nude images, and offered to take photos of her, with the suggestion this could be without clothing.”

The tribunal ordered the BSB not to issue him with a practising certificate for 24 months. The full ruling has not yet been released, which is when the time for appeal begins to run.

Norfolk-based Mr Wheetman has a portfolio on a website called PurplePort, which connects photographers with models. His photos are a mix of artistic-style nude, topless, bikini and clothed images of women.

He describes photography as “my escape into an artistic world where I meet like-minded people, and work with creative, talented models – whatever their experience”.

He has added this week that the tribunal decision should “serve as a warning to all photographers who are employed or working in a regulated profession”.

Reproducing the BSB press release, Mr Wheetman explained that he had been talking to the woman about modelling.

“Please be very careful when engaging people in discussions about modelling or showing any images from your portfolio to anybody in the workplace,” he wrote.

“What may be viewed by some as an innocent discussion about your hobby or pastime, can so readily be interpreted by others as ‘inappropriate comments and behaviour of a sexual nature’.”