A teacher from East Dulwich, who taught at the former school of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, has admitted multiple child sexual offences.
Matthew Smith, 34, was deputy head of pastoral care at Thomas’s prep school, Battersea, was arrested by National Crime Agency officers at his East Dulwich home last Sunday, November 6.
He was charged with causing or inciting the sexual abuse of a child under 13, distributing indecent images of children in category A, and three counts of making IIOC in categories A-C. Category A is the most severe category of images possible.
Police release this image of a man, as they investigate an attempted sexual assault in south London
Smith pleaded guilty to all five counts on Wednesday, November 9, at Westminster Magistrates Court.
He is due to appear at Southwark Crown Court for sentencing at a later date.
According to MailOnline, the charges don’t relate to children who attended the £20,000 a year school where Smith had worked since September.
School principals Tobyn Thomas and Ben Thomas told parents in a statement: “I do not for a minute underestimate the shocking and deeply concerning nature of this news. Our focus right now is on our pupils, parents and colleagues.”
The statement also said the school would not be “elaborating further'” on why he was fired but would continue to work with authorities.
“We will need to work together to respond to children’s questions in an age-appropriate way,” they said. “If you are unsure of what to say to your child, and would like further guidance, please do not hesitate to contact any of the following members of our leadership team.”
Prince George and Princess Charlotte were pupils at the school before switching to Lambrook School, near Ascot, early this year. Smith is understood not to have been working at the school during their time there, as he was hired months after they left.
According to Smith’s LinkedIn profile, he holds prestigious degrees from Oxford and Cambridge universities. It also says he spent five years working at The British School in Kathmandu, Nepal.
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.”