A former deputy head teacher of a primary school in South London has been charged with an additional 17 counts of child sexual abuse including encouraging the rape of a child. 

Matthew Smith, 34, was arrested at his home in East Dulwich in November and was charged with causing the sexual exploitation and abuse of a child under 13, as well as making and distributing indecent images of children. 

He pleaded guilty to those charges and has been in custody ever since. 

On Tuesday (May 23) he appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court charged with 17 further counts. 

These include encouraging the rape of a child under 13, causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and arranging the sexual abuse of a child. 

Smith was Deputy Head of Pastoral at Thomas’s in Battersea, the £20,000 a year school Prince George and Princess Charlotte previously attended. 

The charges do not relate to his time at Thomas’ and there is no evidence of offending by Smith against children in the UK, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said. 

They relate to the suspected commissioning of the sexual abuse of children in India via the internet between 2017 and 2022. 

Smith was living in Nepal and working at a school there for the majority of this time, though there is also no evidence he committed any offences against children based in Nepal. 

He moved back to the UK in July 2022 and began working at Thomas’s where he was a deputy head teacher and head of pastoral care. 

Smith also faces six counts of making and distributing over 120,000 indecent images including the most serious category A images. 

He will appear at Southward Crown Court in June. 

Helen Dore, Senior Officer at the National Crime Agency, said: “Child sexual abuse committed online and across borders is a substantial threat to the UK, and it’s one the NCA is committed to tackling. 

“We are dedicated to pursing the most dangerous offenders and to protecting any child who may be at risk, in the UK and across the globe.” 

A spokesperson for Thomas's Battersea said: “We have been shocked and appalled beyond measure by this matter and are grateful for the work of the police and courts in bringing this man to account.

"Mr Smith’s employment at the school, which commenced in September 2022, was terminated with immediate effect when the school first learned of the charges against him in November.

“While the National Crime Agency has confirmed that none of the matters under investigation related to the school or its pupils, these deplorable actions constitute an unforgivable breach of trust and our thoughts are with those who have been impacted or damaged by them.

"As always, we remain absolutely committed to the ongoing safety and wellbeing of our pupils and our whole school community.”