Benfleet teacher downloaded indecent images of children

Jeremy Gibbs, who teaches art and design in south Essex, used an internet browser so he could search the web anonymously and download 440 of the illegal pictures.

Magistrates heard on Tuesday how investigators from the National Crime Agency traced the indecent images being downloaded to “ashamed” Gibbs’ device in September last year.
 

Devices – police officers seized Jeremy Gibbs's devices at his address last year (Image: Newsquest)

Essex Police attended Gibbs’s address in Fleet Road, Benfleet, before going to his place of work where the defendant was arrested.

After seizing Gibbs’ devices, officers found 440 indecent images of children, 70 of which were category A. A further 111 were category B and 259 were category C. Some of the pictures depicted children as young as four years old.

Gibbs appeared in court to admit three charges of making hundreds of indecent images of children.

Wayne Ablett, prosecuting, said: “He was interviewed at Southend police station where he made full admission of accessing and viewing category A to C images of children and using a Tor browser on his mobile phone and tablet device.

“He said he was ashamed and felt a lot of guilt and said this is not why he went into teaching. He says he loves teaching and these offences have progressed in his personal life.”

Matthew Graham, mitigating, said there was no suggestion Gibbs, 59, had any contact with underage children.

Adjourned – magistrate Keith Smith committed the case to Basildon Crown Court for sentencing (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest)

He argued the defendant had taken steps to address his offending behaviour and was working with the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a charity which prevents child sex abuse.

He said: “The likelihood is he is going to get a community order, not because it’s not serious, but because there are a lot of ways of disposal that don’t involve prison. There is absolutely no suggestion whatsoever he has ever touched a child, or tried to.”

Chair of the bench at Colchester Magistrates’ Court, Keith Smith ruled the matter should now be dealt with at Basildon Crown Court, where Gibbs will appear before Her Honour Judge Samantha Leigh next month.

Gibbs was granted bail on condition he could not contact anyone under 16.