A former primary school headteacher has been jailed after taking an indecent image of a child. Mathew Hargreaves, 48, downloaded hundreds of indecent images of children over a period of about five years.
Hargreaves, formerly of Halewood and now of Deepdale Avenue in Rochdale, was suspended from his role as principal of King's Northway Primary Academy in Wavertree following his arrest. He initially claimed he had accidentally come across the material while browsing swingers websites, but later admitted the truth about his behaviour.
Arrest and investigation
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Friday that police attended Hargreaves' home after receiving intelligence relating to the sharing of indecent images of children online. Derek Jones, prosecuting, said: "There is no evidence that this defendant shared any, but, as a result of that intelligence, the IP address was traced to this defendant and a warrant was executed at his home address on the 6th of May this year."
He was arrested and several electronic items were seized. In an initial interview, he said he was involved in sites and chatrooms with others, but they were to do with swinging websites and nothing to do with indecent images of children, and if he had received any, they were received accidentally.
Hargreaves was released on bail, but an analysis of the seized devices revealed he had downloaded 12 category A indecent images, the most serious forms of abuse, as well as eight in category B and 214 in category C. Mr Jones added: "They did appear to be from chats the defendant was in. I understand that, when his phone was looked at, there were some fantasy chats about children as well, sexualised chats about children."
Victim impact
Hargreaves was also found to have taken one indecent image of a school-aged girl. In a statement to the court, she said: "I saw the photo, and it was a lot worse than I thought. It's made me feel sick to think about, shocked, sick, betrayed and confused. I feel like I am on edge now, like I always need to be alert. The actual image is disgusting and it makes me feel sick."
She added: "How many people have seen it? Why did he take it? My biggest fear out of them all is where he shared it. How many people, if he has, did he share it with? What was his intention with that image?"
When interviewed a second time, Hargreaves, who has no previous convictions, remained silent under questioning. Paul Becker, defending, told the court: "He has been married for some years to his wife. It would seem that, over a number of years, this had become an unhealthy habit, obsession, addiction."
Sentencing
Hargreaves previously admitted taking an indecent image of a child and three counts of making indecent images of children. Appearing via video link to Walton prison wearing a purple HMP Liverpool branded polo shirt, he was handed 25 months behind bars.
Sentencing, Judge Simon Medland KC said: "Until these matters came to light, you presented to the outside world as an intelligent, publicly spirited, family man. You misused that intelligence to secretly satisfy yourself sexually. To the children and parents of your school, where you were in a leadership role, you presented yourself outwardly as a good man and a positive influence. Behind that, however, you had a deeply ingrained sexual perversion, seeing children as sexual objects."
The judge added: "To the outside world, you were happily married, in good employment and living a fine life. That has all come crashing to the ground. But it is important that you understand it has crashed to the ground because of what you did. It is nobody else's fault but yours."
Hargreaves was also handed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and a restraining order banning him from contacting his victim for the same period. He will be required to sign the sex offenders' register for the next decade.
The ECHO understands that Hargreaves was first appointed as the school's principal in 2019, with all references to him removed from its website, newsletters and social media following his arrest. He was also said to have been heavily involved at St Nicholas' and St Mary's Church in Halewood. A woman, aged in her 40s and from Liverpool, was also detained on suspicion of intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence in connection with the investigation, but was subsequently released on conditional bail pending further enquiries.
