Jacob Kennedy, former Suffolk school worker, sentenced after admitting possessing indecent images of children and lying on CV to obtain work

A former Suffolk school worker has been handed a suspended sentence after admitting possessing over 300 indecent images of children and lying on his CV to obtain work.

Jacob Kennedy, 28, of Onehouse, was caught with the category A, B and C images and three category A videos on his Macbook laptop, Ipswich Crown Court heard earlier today.

A referral was made from the National Crime Agency after the images and videos were uploaded on to a Dropbox account associated with Kennedy in January 2019.

At a hearing last month, Kennedy pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children and two counts of fraud by misrepresentation.

The court heard how Kennedy had applied for a job at Combs Ford Primary School, in Stowmarket, in November last year.

However, the following month a complaint was made by the school's headteacher relating to a reference made by Kennedy stating he had previously worked at a school in Lincolnshire.

Combs Ford staff contacted the Lincolnshire school who said they had never worked with Kennedy.

On the reference, Kennedy said he had worked at the school from January 1 to November 10, 2020, and had experience working with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) children.

The court also heard Kennedy did manage to gain seven days' employment with a teaching agency before the police investigation came to light. During that time he worked as a supply teaching assistant at a school in Suffolk.

In mitigation, Oliver Haswell said his client had worked other jobs since leaving university and the two counts of fraud by misrepresentation were 'unrelated' to the indecent images counts.

He added: "It's a 28-year-old man who needs to know what he can and can't do.

"He doesn't want anything to do with working with children any more."

However, recorder Graham Huston said what concerned him was that of all jobs Kennedy could have applied for, he applied to work with children, adding it was 'extremely concerning' someone would obtain indecent images of children, thereby encouraging their abuse.

Recorder Huston handed Kennedy a 12 month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

He was also ordered to pay £340 costs and a victim surcharge.

The laptop used to download the images and videos will be forfeited and destroyed.

Kennedy must also carry out a minimum of 35 hours of rehab within two months and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order lasting for 10 years.