British headteacher who attempted to sexually abuse 131 kids jailed for only 20 months

By Alma Fabiani

Published Sep 23, 2022 at 11:17 AM

Reading time: 2 minutes

36487

British headteacher Nicholas Clayton, 38, from the Wirral—a peninsula located predominately in North West England with a small area in North Wales—used Facebook Messenger to contact children as young as 10, asking for photos and attempting to sexually abuse them.

It is believed that Clayton groomed at least 131 children worldwide while working at a school in Iraq. And yet he’s only been jailed for 20 months.

Clayton was caught after asking a 13-year-old boy from Cambodia for photos of his naked upper torso and arranging to pay for the child to travel to Malaysia so that they could meet. At the time, the National Crime Agency (NCA) received intelligence about the communication and arrested the 38-year-old teacher when he returned to the UK.

That’s when investigators found evidence that Clayton had been messaging hundreds of boys from across the globe, spanning the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Iraq, Morocco, Turkey and others over a period of just three months.

He appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on 23 August where he admitted to three counts of sexual communication with a child under 16 years and one charge of inciting the sexual exploitation of a minor.

On Tuesday 20 September, Clayton was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 15 years.

The case, being the latest one of many others, has prompted new calls for tougher regulations from Meta, which owns Facebook, and is allegedly looking to introduce end-to-end encryption that will “blindfold” authorities to similar predators, according to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).

Andy Burrows, head of child safety online policy at the charity, said: “Clayton’s case highlights the ease with which offenders can contact large numbers of children on social media with the intention of grooming and sexually abusing them.”

“Private messaging is the frontline of child sexual abuse online. It’s therefore concerning that Meta plans to press on with end-to-end encryption on Facebook Messenger, which will blindfold themselves and law enforcement from identifying criminals like Clayton,” he continued.

“The UK government can show global leadership in tackling online child abuse by delivering without delay a robust Online Safety Bill that embeds child protection at the heart of every social media site,” Burrows concluded.

The Online Safety Bill, which aims to protect children from an array of harmful content, is a proposed Act of the Parliament of the UK that was initially published as a draft on 12 May 2021. Since then, new Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan has announced that there are no plans to water down the proposals for new internet safety laws, which Burrows welcomed as “really encouraging.”

But what exactly will count as legal but harmful material will be outlined in secondary legislation. Platforms “likely to be accessed by children” will have to protect them from inappropriate or harmful content such as posts promoting self-harm or eating disorders.

Meanwhile, a Facebook spokesperson commented on the Clayton case, saying: “We have no tolerance for child exploitation on our platforms and are building strong safety measures into our plans.”

It continued, “We’re focused on preventing harm by banning suspicious profiles, defaulting under-18s to private or ‘friends only’ accounts, and more recently introduced restrictions that stop adults from messaging children they’re not connected with.”

“We’re also encouraging people to report harmful messages to us so we can see the contents, respond swiftly and make referrals to the authorities. As we roll out this technology we’re taking our time to get it right and working with outside experts to help keep people safe online,” the statement concluded.

Indeed, you’re taking your time alright…

Keep On Reading

By Abby Amoakuh

Lewis Hamilton and Sharon Stone support Millie Bobby Brown after she calls out disgusting media misogyny

By Charlie Sawyer

Penn Badgley praised for opening up about fatherhood and raising sons on Call Her Daddy

By Charlie Sawyer

First look at $1 billion UK mini city where controversial HBO Harry Potter series will be filmed

By Charlie Sawyer

New study confirms Bacterial Vaginosis can be sexually transmitted, backing what women have long suspected

By Abby Amoakuh

A femicide crisis is silently unfolding in Germany. We asked experts to weigh in on the reasons why

By Abby Amoakuh

Selena Gomez cried on camera about ICE raids and mass deportation but did we need to see it?

By Abby Amoakuh

Did Meta just force everyone to follow Donald Trump and JD Vance on Instagram?

By SCREENSHOT

Is Drake gay? Let’s unpack all of the online evidence

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Was Adam Sandler kicked out of the 2025 Oscars or was it staged? Fans speculate after his fiery outburst

By Alma Fabiani

The disturbing TikTok trend sexualising fake Down syndrome faces using AI filters

By Charlie Sawyer

Another female influencer has been punched in the head in New York. Is it the same attacker?

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Celebrities call out Blue Origin for sending Katy Perry and Lauren Sánchez to space

By Charlie Sawyer

Jenna Ortega’s 2025 film Death of a Unicorn: plot, cast, and everything we know so far

By Alma Fabiani

How PUBG MOBILE’s Ptopia Design Project and World of Wonder are changing the game

By Charlie Sawyer

Everything you need to know about toxic gossip site Tattle Life and how its founder finally got revealed

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Alix Earle sues Gymshark for dropping $1 million deal over pro-Israel posts

By Abby Amoakuh

Right-wing Christian podcaster claims that airport body scanners can turn you gay

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Jeffree Star makes inappropriate comment after Kanye West posts disturbing incest confession

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Australian erotic novelist charged with child abuse material offenses after backlash over latest book

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Unmasking exploitation in Africa: My undercover journey into Kenya’s Chinese seafood factories