Deputy Head at Battersea School Spent Huge Sum on Abuse Images
Taught at St. Thomas's which was attended by Prince George
Matthew Smith. Picture: NCA
June 21, 2023
A former deputy head at St. Thomas’s in Battersea, which was attended by Prince George and Princess Charlotte, has been found guilty of organising the sexual abuse of children.
34-year-old Matthew Smith of East Dulwich admitted paying and instructing teenagers in India to abuse younger children. Officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) estimate that he spent over £65,000 on his activities.
He was arrested at his home in November of last year when officers identified that he was sharing abuse material on the dark web.
They caught him online speaking to a teenage boy living in India and asking him to send sexual images of a younger child, in return for money.
He also had dark web sites and forums open on his computer which were dedicated to child sexual abuse. Officers recovered over 120,000 indecent images of children (IIOC) which Smith had saved on a laptop, SD card and on his phone.
He was charged with five offences, including causing the sexual exploitation of a child under 13, and remanded in custody.
NCA investigators examined his computers and were able to establish that Smith had paid that same teenager, and another also based in India, £65,398 to abuse children over a five-year period. He also gave one of them advice on how befriend children and build their trust with a view to abusing them.
Smith had been living in Nepal and working at a school for most of this time. Prior to this, he spent various periods working in orphanages and NGOs across India between 2007-2014.
He moved back to the UK in July 2022 and began working at St. Thomas’s in London in September, where he was a deputy head teacher and head of pastoral care. His employment at the school was terminated immediately after his arrest. There is no evidence to suggest he committed offences against children based in the UK.
Smith pleaded guilty to the initial offences after his arrest and last month, he was charged with a further 17 counts, including encouraging the rape of a child under 13, causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and arranging the sexual abuse of a child.
He appeared at Southwark Crown Court on 20 June where he pleaded guilty to the additional charges. He’ll be sentenced at the same court on 4 August 2023.
Following his initial guilty pleas, a spokesperson for St Thomas’s said, “We have been shocked and appalled beyond measure by this matter and are grateful for the work of the police and courts in bringing this man to account.
"Mr Smith’s employment at the school, which commenced in September 2022, was terminated with immediate effect when the school first learned of the charges against him in November.
“While the National Crime Agency has confirmed that none of the matters under investigation related to the school or its pupils, these deplorable actions constitute an unforgivable breach of trust and our thoughts are with those who have been impacted or damaged by them.
"As always, we remain absolutely committed to the ongoing safety and well-being of our pupils and our whole school community.”
Helen Dore, Senior Officer of the National Crime Agency, said, “Matthew Smith was a high-risk individual and we moved quickly to locate, arrest and remand him so he could no longer pose a threat to children.
“Ultimately, we were able to prove that he was a prolific offender who manipulated young men to sexually abuse children on his behalf, giving them detailed instructions and financial reward.
“While conducting his offending, Smith worked at a school in Nepal, then became a deputy head teacher and head of pastoral care in the UK, so his offending is a deep betrayal of the trust placed in him.
“The NCA is dedicated to operating online and overseas, working with global partners to ensure that children are safeguarded and offenders like Smith are brought to justice.”
Claire Brinton, Specialist Prosecutor in the CPS’ Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit, said, “Matthew Smith’s crimes are particularly disturbing given his role as a primary school teacher entrusted with the responsibility of caring for and safeguarding children.
“Thousands of images and videos were recovered from his devices which showed an appalling catalogue of sexual abuse being perpetrated on children. Smith offered individuals payments for indecent images to gratify his own sexual desires, which resulted in the horrifying abuse of young children in India.
“This conviction sends a clear message that the CPS, working alongside the NCA and international partners, will work to bring to justice to those who sexually abuse and exploit children, wherever that abuse takes place.”
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