HEAD TEACHER MADE INDECENT AI IMAGES OF CHILDREN GIVEN SUSPENDED SENTENCE
A former head teacher has pleaded guilty to making and distributing indecent artificial intelligence-generated (AI) images of children including teenage girls wearing school uniform.Dean Juric, who led St Robert of Newminster School in Washington, Sunderland, at the time of his arrest in January, made "pseudo" images and videos showing girls as young as 12 in sexual poses, North Tyneside Magistrates' Court heard.
The court was told he was caught by an undercover detective posing as a 58-year-old grandfather with a seven-year-old step-granddaughter.
The prosecution said his position as a headteacher had been an "aggravating factor".
Juric communicated with the undercover police officer - and others - on the messaging app Kik, sending an AI-generated image of a teenage girl looking about 15 years old, and other images of girls aged 12 and 13.
Juric also sent videos of young teenage girls, which the court heard were Category A - the most severe child sex abuse imagery.
There was no suggestion any of the children in the images were pupils at his secondary school or bore a likeness to any child at the school.
Juric was arrested on 17 January and found to possess 380 illegal images including 31 Category A images.
The school’s trust stated Juric was 'immediately suspended' upon learning of the police investigation, and he no longer worked at the school or was employed by the trust.
The charges did not relate to any school or individual in the trust, and their priority was to ensure pupils and families felt safe, supported, and informed.
Juric admitted three counts of making "pseudo" indecent photographs of children and one count of distributing indecent photographs of children.
He is scheduled for sentencing at Newcastle Crown Court on 22 December.
—————————————————————————————————— SENTENCING UPDATE ——————————————————————————————————- Dean Juric, 54, was serving as headteacher of St Robert of Newminster School in Washington, Tyne and Wear, when he was arrested at his home in January last year.
Police action followed an online investigation which led officers to uncover a large volume of illegal material on a mobile phone.
The investigation began after Juric engaged online with a covert police account posing as an offender on a social media platform.
During those conversations, Juric shared images and messages that raised immediate safeguarding concerns.
One image depicted two teenage schoolgirls in uniform, while others involved underage girls.
He also sent further material during later exchanges in November 2024.
As a result, officers executed a search warrant at Juric’s address.
Forensic examination of an iPhone revealed hundreds of indecent images and videos involving children.
These included material assessed across the most serious categories under UK law.
Investigators also found evidence that Juric had been communicating with other offenders online, discussing his sexual interests in young girls.
Juric was subsequently charged and appeared at Newcastle Crown Court, where he admitted multiple offences relating to the making and sharing of indecent images of children.
At sentencing, the judge imposed an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.
Juric was also ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and attend a rehabilitation programme lasting 40 days.
In addressing the court, the judge remarked on the contrast between Juric’s previous professional standing and his criminal conduct, noting that his actions had destroyed a career built on public trust.
The court was told Juric had taken steps to address his behaviour and was assessed as posing a low risk of reoffending.
Juric was placed on the sex offenders’ register for a decade and made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same period.
Following the sentencing, the Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust, which oversees St Robert of Newminster School, issued a statement condemning Juric’s actions.
The trust said his arrest came as a shock to the school community and that there had been no prior concerns about his conduct.
The trust confirmed Juric was immediately suspended upon his arrest and no longer has any connection with the organisation.
It said it had fully cooperated with police throughout the investigation and had referred the matter to teaching authorities, which could result in Juric being barred from the profession.
In closing, the trust emphasised that safeguarding remains its highest priority and said work is ongoing to support staff, pupils and families as the school community continues to recover from the impact of the case.
