Teacher who watched child abuse videos avoids prison sentence
A TEACHER has avoided being sent to prison after downloading child sex abuse videos from the dark web.
Matthew Walker had sick videos of girls as young as four on his computer in his ‘den’ when police raided his home in Hutton Rudby, North Yorkshire.
The 29-year-old had installed software to enable him to search the internet for depraved videos without leaving a trace on his search history, Teesside Crown Court heard.
Dan Cordey, prosecuting, said that the aggravating features of the case were that a child aged four to six was filmed being sexually abused, and a forensic examination revealed that he had downloaded a browser which allowed access to the Dark Web and left no traces.
Walker, whose school was not disclosed during the hearing, will now be on a register banning him for life from working with children.
Caroline Abraham, in mitigation, said that he had a young son and that he had since moved in with his mother and stepfather who were at court supporting him.
He was living on Universal Credit but he had hopes of a job in a new field.
“He is awaiting help with his mental health,” she said. “It has been two years since these offences and he has moved on.”
Judge Timothy Stead told Walker, of Toddington Drive, Norton, and formerly of Garbutt Lane, Hutton Rudby: “You of all people should have known better.
“You are well-supported and that comes as no surprise at all. You have made the first tentative steps and you are going to have to do better.”
Walker was given 12-month jail sentence suspended for 18 months with a supervision order for 18 months, 100 hours of unpaid work, 30 days of Rehabilitation Activity Requirements, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years and ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years.
He was also ordered to pay £250 towards the prosecution costs after he changed his plea on the day of his trial
Walker pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children – 138 at the most serious Category A Level, six at Category B and five at Category C.
