March 2011 Former teacher sentenced for possessing indecent images of children A FORMER Eltham teacher has avoided jail after making indecent images of children. Michael Jervis, who worked at St Thomas More Catholic School, in Footscray Road, Eltham, did not return to the school in September last year. The 50-year-old of Felmingham Road, Anerley appeared at Isleworth Crown Court on March 18 charged with four counts of possessing and making indecent images of children. He was given a five year notification requirement of the Sexual Offenders Register and a five year Sexual Offences Prevention Order. He was also ordered to carry out a two year internet sex offenders programme. Speaking at the sentencing, Judge Anna Guggenheim told Jervis: “You are a customer of a despicable and degrading trade in images of children. “But these are real children and the abuse to which they are subjected causes lifelong harm.” The court heard Jervis was arrested in August last year and a total of 490 indecent images of children were found on his personal laptop and hard drive. Ruxana Nasser, prosecuting, told the court that during a police interview Jervis confessed to possessing the images and told officers he would use them to commit a sex act on himself three times a week. Jervis had previously pleaded guilty to the charges on February 17.