UK ex-teacher pleads guilty to child abuse in India
London (PTI): A former deputy head teacher of a London primary school has pleaded guilty to paying and instructing teenagers in India to abuse younger children.
The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) revealed this week that it had arrested Matthew Smith, 34, from East Dulwich in south London in November last year after its investigators identified that he was sharing abuse material on the dark web and he was convicted at Southwark Crown Court in London on Tuesday.
According to the NCA, Smith 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.
"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," said Helen Dore, NCA's Senior Officer.
"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," she said.
Investigations revealed that Smith was living in Nepal and working at a school for the majority of the offending period in the past.
He also spent various periods working in orphanages and NGOs across India between 2007 and 2014.
He moved back to the UK in July 2022 and began working at the primary school in London in September that year, where he was a deputy head teacher, or deputy principal, and head of pastoral care.
A UK court was told there is no evidence to suggest he committed offences against children based in Nepal or the UK.
The investigators, however, found evidence of potential offending by Smith against children while he was working in India and the NCA said that information has been shared with relevant law enforcement partners.
"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," said Claire Brinton, Specialist Prosecutor in the Crown Prosecution Service's Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit.
"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," she said.
Smith pleaded guilty to an initial five offences, including causing the sexual exploitation of a child under 13, and was remanded in custody in November 2022. 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 in London on Tuesday, where he pleaded guilty to the additional charges and will be sentenced at the same court on August 4.
"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," added Brinton.
The NCA discovered Smith had dark web sites and forums open on his computer, which were dedicated to child sexual abuse.
Investigators then interrogated chat logs and financial transactions and were able to establish that Smith had paid teenagers based in India 65,398 pounds to abuse children over a five-year period.
The chat logs showed that Smith would instruct the young men to perform sexual acts on boys and 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 to befriend children and build their trust with a view to abusing them, the NCA discovered. Officers recovered over 120,000 indecent images of children (IIOC) which Smith had saved on a laptop, SD card and on his phone.
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Cabinet reshuffle is CM's prerogative in consultation with Cong high command: G Parameshwara
Bengaluru(PTI): Amid speculation that a cabinet reshuffle was on the cards, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Wednesday said it is the prerogative of the Chief Minister and he would take a decision in consultation with the state Congress President and the high command.
Deputy CM and state Congress chief D K Shivakumar's statement on Tuesday indicating the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle in the days ahead, noting that few Ministers have been given a "message" about their term, has further fueled the speculations about the rejig.
"I don't know about it. Cabinet reshuffle is the Chief Minister's prerogative. He will consult the Pradesh Congress Committee President and go about it, this has been the practice. I don't know what decisions they make. It has to be done in consultation with the high command," Parameshwara told reporters.
To a question on Shivakumar's statement, he said, "He (Shivakumar) is the party state President, I don't know what messages he has sent (to some Ministers)."
Speculations are rife about a cabinet reshuffle and evaluation of the performance of the Ministers ever since the Lok Sabha poll results. There has also been demand from a section of MLAs, who are Ministerial aspirants, to be inducted into the cabinet. Some have openly expressed their wish to become Ministers.
To a question on a seer's comments that the voting rights of Muslims should be revoked, the Home Minister said, making remarks contrary to the Constitution is not right, and no one should speak or go against it.
"Probably he (seer) has not properly seen the principles of the Constitution and the rights and opportunities provided in it for every community and religion. It is clear in the Constitution," he said.
Asked about Congress MLA H R Gaviyappa publicly asking the CM to drop at least two of the five ‘guarantee’ schemes to provide money for development works, the state Home Minister said, "Any legislator asking for funds to his constituency is not wrong, so Gaviyappa is not wrong in asking for funds for his constituency."
"But unfortunately he has expressed his personal opinion regarding the guarantee schemes. That has been taken by the party and the government. We had promised the people of the state that we will full the promises, so we are implementing them. We cannot go back on that," he added.
Deputy CM Shivakumar had on Tuesday said he would issue a showcause notice to Gaviyappa and warned party leaders against making such statements regarding guarantee schemes.
Responding to a question on an Assamese girl found murdered at a serviced apartment in east Bengaluru, Parameshwra said such incidents in a way bring bad name to the city.
"It (alleged murder) is on very personal grounds. Both of them (suspect and victim) knew each other and were in love. They had stayed in a hotel room and he has stabbed her there. Both of them are outsiders. She is from Assam and he is from Kerala. Police keep watch on such things, but when such incidents occur, it in a way brings a bad name to the city," he said.
Asked about the suicide of a woman, who is a suspect in the alleged scam in Karnataka Bhovi Development Corporation, the Minister said investigation is on, can't say anything further until the probe is over.
On the protest by prisoners against the jail authorities at Kalaburagi central prison, alleging lack of facilities there, Parameshwara said he will speak to DG (Director General) Prisons about it.
"Already we have reviewed all the jails. If there are any necessities there it will be fulfilled. I will give instructions to the DG," he said.
