A newly elected Douglas councillor insists a 2011 finding of misconduct against him over sexting allegations has no bearing on his new role.

Mark Richard Wheeler, of Woodbourne Road, secured his Central Ward seat in an uncontested election.

His election manifesto urged voters to ‘Take out the trash’, calling for the return of weekly bin collections and accusing those in charge at the council of ‘arrogance, ignorance and pig-headedness’.

Now it has emerged that while working as a probation officer for the island’s Probation Service, he was accused of sending text messages of an explicit sexual nature to a vulnerable client.

He was found guilty of misconduct by the General Social Care Council at a hearing in 2011 and was struck off the social care register.

Councillor Wheeler told the Manx Independent: ‘I have no further comment to make as it bears zero relation to my role and all relevant information is in the public domain.

‘Not being present/represented at any meeting, I cannot comment upon this further.’

The issue had not been mentioned to him by anyone at the City Council, he added.

Mr Wheeler was employed as a probation officer for the Department of Home Affairs from November 2003 to April 2009, during which time he was a registered social worker.

The conduct committee of the General Social Care Council met in London in November 2011 to consider allegations that, over four months in early 2007, while probation officer for a woman referred to as Miss A, he had sent her text messages of an explicit sexual nature.

Mr Wheeler was not present or represented at the conduct hearing, which was held at Regus Trafalgar Square on Northumberland Avenue, saying he had no wish to take part.

The committee said it recognised that these were ‘serious allegations of a sexual nature dating back to 2007’.

Extracts from a social inquiry report which had assessed Miss A showed that she could be regarded as a vulnerable witness. She refused to attend or give evidence by videolink.

Mr Wheeler had reported alleged blackmail by Miss A to the police, but the committee could find no plausible evidence to support the suggestion that the text messages had been fabricated by virtue of manipulation by Miss A.

It found the facts proved and Mr Wheeler guilty of misconduct. The committee said it was ‘proportionate and fair’ to remove him from the social care register.

It said Mr Wheeler’s conduct was ‘premeditated and protracted’ and amounted to a breach of trust and authority, and that he had shown no regret.

‘The committee was satisfied that the misconduct represented a serious abuse of both power and position,’ it concluded.

‘The registrant would have known that Miss A could be re-sentenced before the courts if she breached her probation order.

‘[She] was particularly vulnerable and had been subjected to degrading behaviour.’

A spokesperson for Douglas City Council said: ‘The Council looked into and took advice on the matter and these issues, which are all a matter of public record, do not disqualify a person from standing for public office.’