Prep school teacher charged with online child sex offences

A former prep school teacher has been charged with 11 online child sex offences.

Sam Phillips, 27, was arrested in March on suspicion of child sexual exploitation, grooming offences and possession of indecent images.

The charges relate to a period between December 2023 and February 2024. They include three counts of sexual communication with a child, two counts of attempting to incite a girl to engage in sexual activity and a separate count of causing or inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity.  Phillips, a teacher at Belmont Preparatory School in Mill Hill, north London, was also charged with four counts of making indecent images of a child and one count of attempting to meet a girl under 16 years of age following grooming.

Phillips will appear at Harrow Crown Court on 10 April.

While we don’t know the details of this alleged incident, at Bolt Burdon Kemp my team and I have represented many survivors of abuse and I always encourage someone to report their experiences to the police as their first port of call. However many people are not aware they may also be entitled to compensation through the civil courts for what happened to them.

If a teacher is convicted of abusing a pupil, in most situations the school, as that teacher’s employer, will be responsible in law for the teacher’s actions and often that institution will have insurance in place which can be used to pay out compensation in a civil claim.

It is important victims are able to receive compensation which can be used to pay for the treatment needed for their recovery and to help them with rebuilding their lives.

My team and I are passionate about supporting survivors through this process so they can receive the compensation that they deserve. If you have been abused and you want to understand more about how civil claims work, you can contact me using the below details at any time for an informal conversation about your legal options.