Paul Newbury – London

A former senior teacher has been jailed after investigators discovered more than 2,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse on his digital devices.

Paul Newbury, 50, from Wood Green in North London, was sentenced to two years and four months in prison at Southwark Crown Court after admitting a series of serious offences linked to child exploitation material and drug possession.

Newbury had been working as an associate head teacher at Acland Burghley School in Camden when the investigation began.

His crimes were uncovered following work by the National Crime Agency targeting online platforms where child sexual abuse material was being shared.

In October 2017 Newbury was logged into an online video conferencing room where the live sexual abuse of a 10-year-old girl was being broadcast.

Investigators traced the user involved in the session through the username “north London”.

Digital intelligence linked the account to Newbury’s home address in Wood Green.

In February 2018 officers from the National Crime Agency carried out an operation at his property and arrested him.

During the search of the address officers discovered illegal drugs, including cocaine.

Investigators seized Newbury’s electronic devices for forensic examination.

When specialists analysed the equipment they uncovered more than 2,000 indecent images and videos involving children.

The material included some of the most serious categories of abuse, ranging from category A – the most severe form of imagery – through to category C.

The investigation also revealed that Newbury had been using Class A drugs while participating in online platforms where the illegal material was being shared.

During police interviews he admitted possession of cocaine for personal use.

He also admitted making, possessing and distributing indecent images of children.

In total Newbury pleaded guilty to a series of offences including four counts of making indecent images of children, distributing indecent photographs of children, possession of prohibited images, possession of extreme pornographic material and two counts of possessing Class A drugs.

The court heard that there was no evidence he had been in direct sexual contact with children.

Investigators also found no evidence linking his offences to pupils at the school where he worked.

Nevertheless, the school dismissed him from his position on 7 March 2018 once the allegations became known.

At sentencing, the court imposed a prison term of two years and four months.

Following the conviction, National Crime Agency operations manager Graham Ellis said that individuals who view and distribute child abuse material contribute directly to the exploitation of children.

He said offenders like Newbury help fuel a growing online market for abusive material involving children.

Ellis added that while Newbury’s crimes were not connected to his work at the school, the case represented a serious breach of trust given his role in education.

He also emphasised that law enforcement agencies continue to prioritise the identification and prosecution of people involved in online child abuse offences.

Authorities say the scale and severity of online exploitation involving children remains a major concern and investigations into these offences remain ongoing across the UK.

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