Former primary school deputy head teacher jailed for 12 years for arranging abuse of children in India

A former deputy head teacher of a primary school has been jailed 12 years for paying more than £65,000 to arrange the abuse of young children in India.

Matthew Smith, 35, from East Dulwich, instructed teenagers to abuse the young children over a five-year period and was found in possession of more than 120,000 indecent images of children.

Smith, who was deputy headteacher at Thomas’s prep school in Battersea High Street, was arrested by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in November 2022 after investigators identified that he was sharing abuse material on the dark web.

He was online at the time of his arrest, 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.

NCA officers found chat logs and financial transactions which established that Smith had paid that same teenager, and another also based in India, a total of £65,398.

The chat logs showed that Smith would instruct the young men to perform sexual acts on boys. He would send them images and videos as examples of ones he would like to receive in return.

He also gave one of them advice on how befriend children and build their trust with a view to abusing them.

Smith was living in Nepal and working at a school for the majority of this time. Prior to this, he spent various periods working in orphanages and Non-Governmental Organisations across India between 2007 and 2014.

Investigators found evidence of potential offending by Smith against children while he was working in India.

He moved back to the UK in July 2022 and began working at Thomas’s prep school in September, where he was a deputy head teacher and head of pastoral care.

That summer, Smith posted an online advert looking to secure a flat share, in which he said he was a primary school teacher and could assist with childcare. He was arrested before he could be taken up on his offer.

There is no evidence to suggest he committed offences against children based in Nepal or the UK.

Smith pleaded guilty to 22 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 was sentenced today at Southwark Crown Court and is also subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. He has been placed on the sex offenders register for life.

A spokesman for Thomas’s prep school 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 wellbeing of our pupils and our whole school community.”

Helen Dore, Senior Officer of the National Crime Agency, said: “Matthew Smith is a prolific offender and master manipulator, who coerced young men into abusing children on his behalf.

“He constantly sought out opportunities to gain access to children, but was adept at hiding his sexual interest in them. He conducted his offending while working as a teacher and head of pastoral care – a deep betrayal of the trust placed in him.

“It’s clear Smith has absolutely no empathy for his victims and the harm he has caused them. He presents a very real and significant risk to children, but this investigation has ensured he will spend a long time in prison.”

Pictured top: Matthew Smith, 34, from East Dulwich (Picture: NCA)