Deputy Head Jailed for Indecent Images of Children

BBC News
May 5, 2016

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-36218363

St Benedict's is a co-educational school for junior and senior school pupils

The deputy head of a fee-paying Catholic school in London has been jailed for 33 months for possessing extreme images of child abuse.

Peter Allott, 37, who taught at St Benedict's in Ealing admitted possessing, showing and making category A indecent images of children.

Allott, of Marchwood Crescent, Ealing, was caught using video conferencing to share images with others in the UK.

Blackfriars Crown Court heard him admit possessing a controlled drug, MDMA.

Matt Sutton of Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command (CEOP) said: "Every indecent image of a child is an image of a child being abused. Peter Allott had images of the worst category in his possession and it is appropriate he is now serving a custodial sentence.

"Whilst there is no evidence that Allott abused his position of trust at his place of work, we consider he posed a significant risk due to the nature of the images he was sharing," he added.

Allott pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children, one of distributing indecent images of children and one of possessing extreme pornography.

St Benedict's is a co-educational school for junior and senior school pupils. Last year 1,092 pupils were registered at the school.

In 2010 Lord Carlile conducted a separate and unrelated inquiry into the "terrible legacy" of 21 cases of historical sex abuse at the school since 1970.

The Independent Schools Inspectorate said in 2014 St Benedict's had a proactive approach to safeguarding which had improved since a previous inspection in 2012.