NICHOLAS TAYLOR, A FORMER TEACHER FROM POTTERS BAR, SENTENCED TO SIX YEARS IN PRISON

A 27-year-old former primary school teacher from Potters Bar has been sentenced to six years in prison for offenses involving the solicitation of indecent images from children via social media. Nicholas Taylor, of Barnet, received the custodial sentence at St Albans Crown Court on Wednesday, March 22, after pleading guilty to multiple internet-related charges.

The sentence follows a thorough investigation by Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Joint Child Protection & Investigation Team into Taylor’s activities. Between October 2014 and October 2015, while employed as a teacher, Taylor engaged girls in sexual activity and was involved in creating and distributing indecent photographs of children.

Operating under the pseudonym Jackson_Law2002, Taylor contacted several children through an Instagram chat group. Initially establishing contact and building friendships, he then manipulated and bullied the children into sending him indecent images. The victims were aged between 10 and 15 at the time, and included children from the same school or involved in a Girl Guiding group in London.

Authorities identified all the involved children and directly contacted each victim and their families to support them and investigate Taylor.

The investigation found no evidence of physical contact crimes. Detective Inspector Chris Treadwell noted, “This was a long and complex investigation which involved examining more than 30 different phones, computers, and other devices owned by Nicholas Taylor. Taylor went online to contact children for his own sexual gratification. Using a false identity, he bullied and manipulated them into sending him images with threats and intimidation. He also duped colleagues and fellow volunteers.”

He expressed gratitude to the victims and their families, stating, “I would like to thank the victims and their families for their support during this investigation. It has been a harrowing experience for them, and I hope this sentence provides some closure on this difficult chapter in their lives.”

Taylor pleaded guilty to six counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, two counts of making indecent photographs of a child, and one count of distributing such photographs. The judge at St Albans Magistrates Court sentenced him to six years in prison.