Assistant headteacher caught with indecent images by police officer posing as 13-year-old girl

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A former assistant headteacher sent explicit images of himself to a police officer posing as a 13-year-old girl distributed indecent photographs and videos of children being abused, a court has heard.

Daniel Butterfield also sent graphic messages to the undercover officer between June and August 2018, while asking for the "girl" to reply with indecent images.

In his efforts to groom the child, the teacher made arrangements to meet with her, police said.

Detectives arrested the 36-year-old on suspicion of sexual communication with a child, while searching his home in Kingston in August last year.

After they examined his computer, they found evidence he had distributed indecent photographs and videos of children.

They also found evidence of 113 indecent images and videos of young children on the device. Some of those images were designated Category A, which is the most severe rating.

However, No evidence was found to suggest the former teacher had taken the videos or photographs himself.

“Butterfield was in a position of authority at a school and entrusted with the safety and security of young pupils," said Detective Constable Theresa Tyldesley after he pleaded guilty to seven counts of distributing an indecent photograph of a child Kingston Crown Court earlier this month.

"His profession and access to children makes his offending all the more serious, as well as being a gross abuse of trust and professional responsibility."

Butterfield also pleaded guilty to charges of attempting to incite a girl, aged 13 to 15, to engage in sexual activity, to causing a child aged 13 to 15 to look at an image of sexual activity and to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

In addition, Butterfield admitted to three counts of making an indecent photograph of a child.

He was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment which will be suspended for two years.

The 36-year-old was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register and is now subject to a 10 year sexual harm prevention order.

Such orders often require subjects to comply with certain requirements or refrain from specific behaviour.