PLYMOUTH TEACHER MATTHEW PERCIVAL BANNED FROM RESIDING WITH CHILDREN AFTER BEING CAUGHT WITH OVER 100 INDECENT IMAGES
In a case that has shocked the community of Plymouth, a local teacher named Matthew Percival, aged 30, was found to possess a significant collection of indecent images of children.The incident came to light during a routine investigation when a family member, who was borrowing Percival's laptop while he was away teaching in Peru, discovered disturbing content on the device.
According to court proceedings, the relative noticed that Percival had been viewing photographs of young girls in sexual poses, often wearing bikinis.
She chose not to confront him immediately but instead switched off the laptop and kept the discovery to herself.
It was only later, during a family holiday in the Bahamas, that she confronted Percival directly.
During this confrontation, Percival admitted to viewing the images, explaining that he did so to make himself feel disgusted and to punish himself, a statement that the court considered as part of his remorse.
Following this revelation, the family member returned to the UK and reported her findings to the police.
Percival subsequently attended a voluntary police interview, during which he was cooperative.
The police investigation revealed that Percival’s laptop contained a total of 101 indecent images, along with six deleted images, all classified at level 1 on the severity scale.
The scale ranges from level 1 to level 5, with level 5 representing the most serious offenses.
The images found were considered to be at the lower end of the spectrum, which influenced the court’s decision regarding the severity of the case.
Gareth Warden, the prosecutor, explained that the case was deemed not serious enough to warrant a Crown Court trial, largely because Percival was honest and forthcoming about his actions.
Warden stated, “This came as a result of Percival being honest and open.
He accepted ownership and was open with officers.” Defense lawyer Mackenzie Robinson highlighted Percival’s remorse, stating, “If ever there was a young man crying out for probation intervention, it’s this man.” Robinson also pointed out that police had found 41 active files at level 1, which was considered a relatively small amount of offending material.
Before sentencing, a pre-sentence report was prepared but was not read aloud in court.
Ultimately, Percival was handed a two-year community order.
The bench chair emphasized the seriousness of the offenses, saying, “The offences are so serious that we need to make a community order.
We have given you credit for your guilty plea which has been taken into account.” In addition to the community order, Percival was subjected to a two-year supervision requirement and a prohibited activity order.
This order bans him from residing in the same house as any child under 16 for even a single night without prior approval from his probation officer.
Furthermore, he was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for a period of five years, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities and compliance with the law.
