Ex-teacher Admits 29 Child Sex Offences Against 26 Victims

A former North Wales teacher has admitted to multiple child sex offences against 26 different victims at Chester Crown Court. 📋

Simon Clark, 46, previously of Ellesmere Port but now of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to 29 child sex offences when he appeared in court on Friday.

The defendant spoke only to confirm his identity before saying “guilty” to each of the 26 charges brought against him.

The judge, Mr Recorder Lamb, described the crimes as “an extraordinary series of offences by a man of (previously) good character” and adjourned sentencing until May.

Clark was arrested in August 2023 following an investigation by Cheshire Police’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Team.

He pleaded guilty to:

• Three counts of inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity
• 21 counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child under 16
• Making 26 indecent images of children of Category A
• Making 29 indecent images of children of Category B
• Making 81 indecent images of children of Category C

The court heard that Clark’s victims were aged between eleven and 15 years old. The indecent image offences were committed between November 2016 and January 2023.

In one case, he encouraged a victim to take photos of herself unclothed. Many of the offences were committed to obtain sexual gratification.

Following the guilty pleas, Mr Recorder Lamb told Clark: “Simon Clark, you have pleaded guilty to a considerable number of extremely serious sexual offences against children. You will know that a substantial, immediate term of imprisonment is inevitable but I have in mind to renew bail on the existing terms.”

The judge ordered a pre-sentence report to be prepared, noting that it should “address the issue of dangerousness.” Clark was released on bail with notification requirements and will be sentenced on May 9. ⚖️