Teacher pleads guilty to child sexual abuse offences

11 Nov 2022 03:05 PM

The deputy head of a primary school from London has pleaded guilty to five child sexual abuse offences.

Matthew Smith, 34, was arrested by National Crime Agency officers at his home in East Dulwich on Sunday 6 November.

Smith was charged with causing or inciting the sexual abuse of a child under 13, distributing indecent images of children (IIOC) in category A, and three counts of making IIOC in categories A-C.

He pleaded guilty to all five counts on 09/11/2022 and is due to appear at Southwark Crown Court for sentencing on a date to be fixed.

This remains a live investigation, with early indications of significant online offending and international lines of inquiry.

Tony Cook, NCA Head of Child Sexual Abuse investigations, said:

“These guilty pleas are a significant step in what is an ongoing, complex investigation. Child sex abuse perpetrated online and across borders is a substantial threat to the UK, and the NCA is dedicated to investigating in these challenging spaces in order to safeguard children and pursue the highest risk offenders."