A teacher at the prep school previously attended by Prince George and Princess Charlotte has admitted a string of child sexual abuse offences.
Matthew Smith, 34, had his south London home raided by police on Sunday 6 November where he was arrested.
Smith was charged with five offences including causing or inciting the sexual abuse of a child under 13, distributing Category A indecent images of children and three counts of making indecent images in categories A to C.
The deputy head of pastoral at Thomas's Battersea pleaded guilty to all five counts when he appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
It is understood the charges do not relate to his employment at the £20,000-a-year school in south London, which was previously attended by Prince George and Princess Charlotte until the end of the last academic year.
Smith joined the school in September and according to his LinkedIn profile, was at a school in Kathmandu, Nepal for five years before that.
National Crime Agency (NCA) officers said the investigation remains live and there are early “indications of significant online offending and international lines of inquiry”.
Tony Cook, NCA Head of Child Sexual Abuse investigations, said: “These guilty pleas are a significant step in what is an ongoing, complex investigation.
“Child sex abuse perpetrated online and across borders is a substantial threat to the UK, and the NCA is dedicated to investigating in these challenging spaces in order to safeguard children and pursue the highest risk offenders.”
Smith, of East Dulwich, will be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on a date to be fixed.
A spokesperson for the school said: “We have been shocked and distressed to learn of these charges. The safety and wellbeing of our pupils is, and always will be, our top priority.
“As there are ongoing criminal proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time other than to say that there is no suggestion that the offences relate to Mr Smith’s employment at Thomas’s or to any current or former pupils of the school.
“Mr Smith’s employment at the school, which commenced in September this year, has been terminated with immediate effect.”
Kensington Palace released a statement in August revealing Kate and William's decision to move schools.
“Their Royal Highnesses are hugely grateful to Thomas's Battersea where George and Charlotte have had a happy start to their education since 2017 and 2019 respectively and are pleased to have found a school for all three of their children that shares a similar ethos and values to Thomas's,” it said.
The move was reportedly made so the children can have “as normal a family life as possible” - allowing them to be brought up in a more rural setting outside of the hustle and bustle of central London.
