Paedophile working as trainee teacher and karate coach sentenced after 109 indecent images of children found

A Newcastle paedophile working as a trainee teacher and karate coach has been caught red-handed by specialist police.

Police searched the house of Jordan McCarthy-Simmonette after he was found to be interacting with a registered sex offender online.

McCarthy-Simmonette sought out the conversation with the sex offender, who was the subject of a separate ongoing police investigation, believing they were a 14-year-old boy.

A search of the pervert's house uncovered more than 109 sexual images of children classed as Category C, meaning 'images of erotic posing'. McCarthy-Simmonette was arrested in October 2019 by officers from Northumbria Police's Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT).

McCarthy-Simmonnette was charged with attempted sexual communication with a child and possession of indecent images of children.

Following his arrest, extensive partnership work was carried out between officers and partners from the local authorities to ensure McCarthy-Simmonette was removed from his role as a karate coach and appropriate measures were put in place.

McCarthy-Simmonette, of Teviotdale Gardens, in Heaton appeared at Newcastle Crown Court on Wednesday, April 20 where he was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment suspended for two years, after previously pleading guilty.

He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for seven years and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years.

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Rob Smoult from POLIT said: “As a Force we are committed to keeping children and young people safe from harmful and dangerous online predators.

“In this case, McCarthy-Simmonette believed he was engaging with a 14-year-old boy and unfazed by this.

"That behaviour is completely unacceptable.

“Thanks to a thorough investigation, a solid case was presented before the courts and McCarthy-Simmonette was left with little opportunity to deny his actions and I am pleased he has admitted his guilt.

“We know that cases like this can cause concern in our communities, but I want to reassure people that we are constantly working with our partners in the local authority and across a wide range of services to ensure the right measures and appropriate safeguards are in place to keep children and young people safe from harm.

“We will continue to work with schools, youth groups and parents to highlight the dangers which can be present across different platforms and would encourage adults to keep talking to their children about who they engaging with, and to keep promoting the use of privacy settings.”