A FORMER Barnsley head teacher has walked free from court after last week admitting charges relating to indecent images of children and possession of an extreme pornographic image involving a horse.
Former Darton High head Simon Hill, 58, appeared at Derby Crown Court this afternoon where he was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for 18 months.
He had last week pleaded guilty to two counts relating to indecent images, all made between July 28 and October 30 2015.
Count one related to the making of 21 category C indecent images of young people aged under 16. Hill was also charged with possessing an extreme pornographic image involving a person performing a sex act on a horse.
He entered a guilty plea to both counts but the court adjourned until today's sentencing hearing.
His Honour Judge Jonathan Bennett also ordered Hill to complete 20 rehabilitation days and 120 hours of unpaid work. He was subjected to a notification period for seven years and must report to police yearly and for any change of address or any lengthy period away from home.
Judge Bennett also made a sexual harm prevention order tailored to 'particular offending' for the same period of seven years.
Sentencing him, he told Hill: "Clearly these proceedings, I know from the bail application, had a significant effect on your children and saw, at an earlier stage, an emotional letter by one of your children, and I recognise that.
"But the court is also extremely concerned about images such as these, which also involve real children, who are abused in order to satisfy the perverted desires of people such as yourself and indulge fantasies.
"These are not just pictures, they are real children."
Hill, of Fidlers Close, Bamford, in the Hope Valley, had been a controversial head during his time at Darton. Today Darton College is a high-performing school in a modern £28m advanced learning centre opened in 2011, and is officially rated 'good' by Ofsted.
But in 2010 under Hill the old Darton High fell into special measures - Ofsted's most serious category of failing schools. He went off sick immediately following the Ofsted inspection and he did not return to the school, leaving by mutual consent some weeks after.
Former teachers said they had seen the school deteriorate dramatically under Hill and that his reign had seen the school 'haemorrhage staff'.
For full coverage see next week's Barnsley Chronicle.
