TWO chemistry teacher brothers who a judge said had led a “Jekyll and Hyde” existence have been spared jail terms after admitting child porn offences.

Robyn Wheldon-Williams, 39, who taught at a Caernarfon secondary school, once appeared on Richard and Judy and was involved with the National Eisteddfod science pavilion. He admitted having 1,399 indecent images of children and 78 movies between January 2007 and May last year.

Dyfan Wheldon-Williams, 43, a teacher at Blaenau Ffestiniog, admitted three offences.

They were having 40 indecent images of youngsters between April 2011 and May 2015, making child porn, and possessing extreme porn featuring people with dogs.

Three-year community orders were imposed with an internet sex offenders’ programme and rehabilitation activity. The brothers must register as sex offenders for five years and sexual harm prevention orders were made for the same period.

They have to each pay £535 costs.

Judge Peter Heywood told them at Caernarfon crown court:”You are very fortunate to avoid custody.”

He said :”When I read the papers I was shocked to discover the double life you clearly are both leading.

"You were brought up locally, attended local school here in Caernarfon and were academically high achievers.

"You both obtained doctorates and devoted your professional lives to working in local secondary schools, no doubt impeccable teachers, well-regarded by professional colleagues and having set many youngsters on science careers.

“But there’s clearly another sadder side to your lives. Although you shared a home it would appear you spent your weekends getting tanked-up on cans of lager and getting sexually aroused by downloading and watching images and videos of child pornography.”

Judge Heywood said a prison term would be “for a matter of months” and wouldn’t address their offending behaviour.

He said to the pair: “It’s frequently forgotten by people who view these images that these are real children. You, no doubt, are both ashamed by your behaviour.

“The teaching profession clearly won’t be a position you will be able to enjoy in the future. All you achieved professionally is now behind you. The careers you had are ruined.”

There was no suggestion of inappropriate conduct towards their pupils. ‘This was offending behind closed doors in the solitary lives you were leading,” the judge remarked. He said the sentence “isn’t a soft option.”

The court heard the brothers were arrested and laptops seized after police searched their home at Bontnewydd, Caernarfon, in May last year.

Prosecuting barrister Matthew Dunford said the brothers accepted having porn addictions for a decade. They had no previous convictions.

S4C programme presenter Dr Robyn Wheldon-Williams had a world record for enclosing the most people in a bubble.

Their barristers made no representations after the judge indicated he was following the recommendations of pre-sentence reports.

A Gwynedd council spokesman said afterwards: “As soon as the allegations against two of the authority’s teaching staff were brought to our attention, all relevant child protection procedures were followed. Both individuals were suspended from their posts. They are no longer employed by Gwynedd council. The offences did not relate to their work for the authority.”