DEREK BERDITCH PINNER MUSIC TEACHER JAILED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IN LONDON

In August 2014, Derek Berditch, a former music instructor from Pinner, was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to possessing a vast collection of child abuse images and videos. The 58-year-old, who once inspired singer Kate Nash during her school days, was found to have accumulated nearly 60,000 explicit photographs of children, along with numerous films and extreme pornography content.

The discovery was made during a police raid on his residence in Pinner earlier that year, which uncovered the extensive illegal material stored on his computer. Following the raid, Berditch was charged and subsequently sentenced to 18 months in prison. Additionally, he will be registered on the sex offenders register for a period of ten years, reflecting the severity of his crimes.

During a hearing at Southwark Crown Court in London on Tuesday, August 5, 2014, Judge Andrew Goymer addressed Berditch directly, emphasizing the gravity of his misconduct. The judge stated that Berditch was “unfit” to continue as a teacher, condemning his actions as shameful and damaging to public confidence in the teaching profession. He underscored that such conduct undermines the trust parents place in educators to safeguard their children, especially when children are taught in unsupervised environments.

Kate Nash, the singer-songwriter who once credited Berditch as a significant influence during her formative years, publicly expressed her admiration for her former teacher. Nash described him as an enthusiastic and passionate music lover who encouraged her to pursue her musical interests. She recalled lessons where Berditch would often deviate from the standard curriculum to show films like “Cabaret” or share music albums, fostering her creativity and love for music. Nash emphasized how fortunate she felt to have had such encouragement, which played a role in her development as an artist.

The court heard that Berditch had been tutoring students both at his school in Rickmansworth and privately at his home in Pinner, where he conducted lessons unsupervised. The judge reiterated that his conduct rendered him unfit to return to teaching, citing the damage such behavior causes to the reputation of educators and the safety of children.

When police officers raided his home in Pinner in February, Berditch reportedly responded with resignation, saying, “Well that’s my career over.” The investigation revealed that he had been actively downloading and sharing illegal material online, including videos depicting sexual acts involving children as young as eight, as well as images of bestiality involving women and dogs. Prosecutors detailed that the material had been stored on his computer between 2011 and 2014, with some of it being made available to others via file-sharing websites.

The prosecution’s case was presented by Peter Zinner, who outlined the disturbing nature of the content, including an 18-minute film involving sexual acts with an eight-year-old child. The evidence also included images and videos of children being raped and other extreme pornography.

Defense lawyer Jeremy Lynn described Berditch as a “well-respected” teacher with a long career spanning 36 years, including his role as head of the music department at the Rickmansworth school from 1987 until his arrest. Lynn emphasized that Berditch was an educated man who had maintained a reputable career and that there was no evidence to suggest his illegal interests had translated into actual harm or inappropriate relationships with children. He characterized Berditch’s actions as an addiction to pornography rather than a predatory inclination.

Berditch admitted to possessing 58,770 paedophilic images, 17 films, and extreme pornography, as well as making 469 images and a film available online. As part of his sentence, he was issued a 10-year sexual offences prevention order, which restricts his use of electronic devices and requires him to record his online activity. He will remain on the sex offenders register for a decade, reflecting the serious nature of his crimes and the ongoing risk he poses to the community.