RUGBY TEACHER AND FORMER LABOUR COUNCILLOR STEVEN BIRKETT INVOLVED IN CHILD PORNOGRAPHY SCANDAL IN RUSSIA

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the Rugby community, Steven Birkett, a former Labour councillor and teacher from Rugby, has been found to have uploaded explicit images of children to a website based in Russia that is known to be used by paedophiles. The revelations have raised serious concerns about the extent of his actions and the potential harm caused to innocent children.

According to reports, Birkett took photographs of children from social media platforms and uploaded them to this foreign website. The images included photographs of young boys and girls, some as young as three years old, dressed in school uniforms or in other innocent settings. The folders containing these images bore disturbing labels such as ‘Cute 3/4 yo’, ‘Little Cuties’, and ‘Cute [girl’s name] 8yo’, indicating a disturbing pattern of objectification and exploitation.

Steven Birkett served as the Labour councillor for New Bilton in Rugby from 2012 until 2017. His activities related to the uploading of these images spanned from 2007 to 2017, suggesting a prolonged period during which he engaged in this illicit behavior. Despite being detained by Northamptonshire Police in 2016, no immediate charges or further actions were taken at that time. However, the investigation into his activities continued, and recent developments have led to more severe consequences.

In addition to his political career, Birkett was employed as a history teacher at Chenderit School in Middleton Cheney, Oxfordshire. He was suspended from his teaching duties following the initial police detention, but he resigned from his position before any formal investigation could be completed. Last week, the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) announced that Birkett has been indefinitely banned from teaching, effectively ending his career in education.

The TRA revealed that Birkett had set up his website account using an email address that contained a schoolboy’s name, further highlighting the disturbing nature of his actions. Panel chair Tony James stated, “He uploaded photographs of children to a website that he knew was frequented by people with a sexual interest in children,” emphasizing the malicious intent behind his online activities.

Alan Webb, who was the chairman of Rugby Labour when Birkett served as a councillor, expressed his shock upon hearing the news. Webb said, “Nobody had a clue. He said he was leaving to move to Lancashire — I believe he got a job in Manchester. This is news to me.” Webb added, “We are shocked and appalled to hear this news. It is deeply worrying that behaviour like this is often hidden from even people’s closest friends,” underscoring the betrayal of trust and the hidden nature of such criminal conduct.