A former North London teacher has been charged with 11 counts of child sex offences with some alleged victims reportedly having attended the prep school he worked at. Sam Phillips, who taught at Belmont School, in Mill Hill, where fees are £23,400 a year, was arrested and charged last week with online sexual offences against teenage children, including child sexual exploitation, making indecent images and grooming.
The 27-year-old of Sutton, in South London, taught at Belmont between September 2017 and March 2021. The alleged offences happened between January 1 and March 12 this year. Mill Hill School, the £43,590 a year boarding school which Belmont feeds to, wrote to parents on March 20 to say some of the alleged victims were pupils at Mill Hill, reports The Times.
In the letter from David Benson, the Mill Hill head teacher, seen by The Times, parents were told ‘the alleged victims included a very small number of current pupils at Mill Hill School’ but the school had never received any concerns about Phillips behaving inappropriately with pupils during his time there.
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In the letter, Mr Benson said: “We have been informed by the police that Mr Phillips was arrested and charged last week with recent online sexual offences involving teenage children. The allegations relate to a period after Mr Phillips left Belmont.
“However, the alleged victims included a very small number of current pupils at Mill Hill School. Their families have already been contacted by the police as part of their investigation.”
A spokesperson for the school also said it did not ‘at any point’ receive any concerns regarding Mr Phillips behaving inappropriately with pupils during the time he was employed at Belmont.
A spokesperson for the Mill Hill School Foundation said: “We have been shocked to learn of the charges against a former Belmont member of staff Sam Phillips, who worked as a teacher at our prep school from September 2017 until March 2021.
“The wellbeing of our pupils remains our absolute priority and we are committed to maintaining the safety of all the children in our care. The school has robust safeguarding procedures in place which are regularly reviewed.”
‘Officers contacted about welfare of a child’
On Thursday, March 21, the Met Police confirmed Phillips is accused of attempting to meet a 14-year-old girl following grooming, causing a girl aged 13 to engage in sexual activity, and four counts of making indecent images of a child. He also faces three charges of engaging in sexual communication with a child and two charges of attempting to cause a girl aged 13 to engage in sexual activity.
A spokesperson for the force said: “In February 2024, officers were contacted regarding the welfare of a child and concerns about possible sexual exploitation. Detectives from the North West Command Unit immediately launched an investigation.
“On Monday, March 11, a 27-year-old man was arrested in South London on suspicion of child sexual exploitation, grooming offences and possession of indecent images. Detectives continue to work closely with safeguarding leads from partner agencies including the relevant local authorities to provide support.”
Philips was charged with 11 child sex offences on March 12, and appeared in custody the next day at Willesden Magistrates’ Court on March 13. He will next appear in custody at Harrow Crown Court on April 10.
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