Former Birmingham Assistant Head Jailed

20 September 2018, 13:16 | Updated: 20 September 2018, 13:23

An assistant headteacher, who was caught with indecent images of children after West Midlands Police investigated his attempts to seduce a 13-year-old girl over the internet, has been jailed for nearly three years.

Andrew Shelton regularly encouraged the youngster and other children to send him explicit images.

Officers were alerted to his contact with the teenager over Skype across March and April last year. They then searched his home in Woodman Close, Halesowen.

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Shelton was found to have 93 indecent images across his computer and mobile phone; along with evidence that he had messaged other youngsters and searched for indecent images of children.

The 52-year-old admitted eight charges, including attempted sexual communication with a child, trying to incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity and possessing indecent images of children.

He was jailed for two years and eight months at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Tuesday (18 September).

He no longer works as a teacher and none of the charges related to his role.

This assistant headteacher has been jailed for nearly three years after being caught with indecent images of children as part of a West Midlands Police investigation into his attempts to groom a girl of 13. Full story: ➡️https://t.co/tgmu4vgl4a pic.twitter.com/Xyoo7D84zd

— West Midlands Police (@WMPolice) 20 September 2018

Detective Sergeant Rob Grace , from the force’s Public Protection Unit, said: "Shelton was trying to coerce children over the internet and encourage them to send inappropriate images.

“He was a role model for young people as a teacher but away from the classroom he preyed on them for his own gratification.

“Safeguarding of children will always be a top priority for the force. Anyone who encourages child abuse by viewing or sharing paedophilic images or engages in explicit conversations involving children needs to prepare themselves for being caught and hauled before the courts."

Anyone with concerns their child has been a victim of such an offence can speak to one of our staff byhitting the Live Chat button on this website between 8am and midnight, or call 101 anytime.