Matthew Hargreaves, 47, the former principal of King's Northway Primary Academy in Wavertree, Liverpool, has admitted three counts of making indecent images of children. The offences occurred between April 11, 2021, and May 3, 2026. Hargreaves entered his guilty plea during a hearing at Liverpool Magistrates' Court, the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed.
Court Proceedings and Denial
Hargreaves, of Deepdale Avenue in Rochdale, was remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear at Liverpool Crown Court on July 27. He also faces a separate charge of taking an indecent image of a child, which he denies.
School Response and Safeguarding
King's Northway Primary Academy's acting principal, Mark Newton, informed parents and carers that the offences did not relate to Hargreaves' employment at the school. In a letter seen by the ECHO, Newton wrote: "As soon as we were informed of his arrest several weeks ago by police colleagues, he was immediately suspended from his role as principal as part of robust local authority and Great Schools Trust safeguarding procedures."
Newton added: "As the matter is subject to ongoing police and court proceedings, it would not be appropriate for us to comment further at this time but please rest assured we are helping police with their investigation." He urged the public to refrain from publishing information on social media that could impact the investigation.
Shane Ierston, chief executive of Great Schools Trust, which oversees the academy, stated: "As soon as we learned of Matthew Hargreaves's arrest earlier this year, he was suspended from his role at King's Northway Primary Academy. Since then, we have been liaising with the relevant authorities. The offences do not relate to his employment at the school."
Legal Context and Police Statement
The charge of making an indecent image of children includes downloading, saving, or opening an email attachment, and carries a maximum sentence of 10 years' imprisonment. The specific nature of the images has not been disclosed. A police spokesperson said: "Hargreaves remains in custody awaiting his next court appearance. Our specialist online child abuse investigations team continues to progress extensive and thorough enquiries into this matter."
The spokesperson added: "If you have been affected by sexual violence of any kind don’t be afraid to tell someone, find the courage to come forward and get the help you deserve."
