MATTHEW BACK SHAMES SHEERNESS TEACHER JAILED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENSES IN MAIDSTONE

In April 2008, a disturbing case emerged involving Matthew Back, a primary school teacher from Sheerness, who was convicted of heinous crimes related to child exploitation and abuse. The court proceedings revealed that Back had engaged in activities that not only shattered his professional career but also posed a grave threat to the safety and well-being of children.

Matthew Back, aged 31 and residing on Winstanely Road in Sheerness, was sentenced to a prison term of two years and nine months. The judge overseeing the case, Judge Philip Statman, delivered a stern verdict, stating, "You are a primary school teacher. You have single-handedly destroyed your career. I am satisfied you will never ever be able to teach again." The courtroom was filled with support for Back from his wife, who suffers from the debilitating medical condition ME, along with family members and friends, all present to witness the outcome of this serious case.

The investigation was initiated after police raided Back’s residence, uncovering a disturbing collection of illegal material on his computer. Authorities found a total of 282 child sex abuse images, with three classified at the highest level of severity and 77 at level four. Prosecutor Edmund Burge detailed the horrifying content, including images depicting a baby no older than one year and a five-year-old girl being subjected to sexual assault. These findings underscored the severity of Back’s criminal activities.

Further evidence was uncovered through videos showing a 15-year-old girl dressed in a school uniform. It was established that Back had entered a chatroom where he persuaded her to perform sexual acts on herself, an act of incitement that compounded his criminal conduct. The court heard that Back had gone into this chatroom with the intent to exploit the minor, believing he was operating from the safety of his home address, which the judge noted as a disturbing aspect of the case. Judge Statman remarked, "You must have felt safe, knowing you were at your home address and she was many miles away, almost sanitising yourself from the activity that was being conducted."

Importantly, the court clarified that there was no evidence of any improper behavior involving Minster Primary School, where Back was employed as a teacher. Nonetheless, Back admitted to inciting a child to engage in sexual activity on June 16 of the previous year. He faced multiple charges, including three counts of making indecent photographs of a child and ten counts of possessing such images. These charges highlighted the extent of his involvement in child exploitation.

As a result of his convictions, Matthew Back was permanently barred from working with children and was placed on the sex offenders’ register for life. The case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by individuals in positions of trust who abuse their authority for malicious purposes, and it underscores the importance of vigilant law enforcement in protecting vulnerable minors from exploitation.