KEVIN HEYWOOD FROM TIVERTON BANNED FOR CHILD ABUSE MATERIALS AT DEVON SCHOOL

In February 2019, a school worker from Devon was convicted of possessing and viewing disturbing images of child abuse. Kevin Heywood, a storeman at Blundells School in Tiverton, was identified by the National Crime Agency and subsequently arrested at the historic 400-year-old institution.

Heywood, 52 years old and residing on Barrington Street in Tiverton, admitted to three counts of creating indecent images of children at Exeter Crown Court. It was revealed that he had stored 177 images across two laptops, depicting children aged between 1 and 13 subjected to extreme abuse, including rape and torture.

The court was informed that Heywood had actively searched the internet for such material. Following his arrest on September 7, 2017, he was dismissed from his position at the school.

Sentencing judges described the severity of his actions. Recorder Philip Mott QC stated, "The images showed very young girls who were being made to suffer." He emphasized that the crime was far from victimless.

Heywood received a six-month jail sentence, suspended for two years. Additionally, he was ordered to participate in a sex offenders' treatment program, to register as a sex offender for ten years, and was placed under a lifelong ban from working with children through a sexual harm prevention order.