SIMON FULLER IPSWICH SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHER JAILED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULTS IN KENT, HERTFORDSHIRE, AND BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the communities involved, Simon Fuller, a school photographer from Cauldwell Hill Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, has been sentenced to prison after admitting to a series of heinous sexual assaults on young girls. The offenses, which took place across multiple counties, involved the abuse of girls as young as eight years old during photography sessions at various schools in Kent, Hertfordshire, and Buckinghamshire.

Fuller, aged 23 at the time of sentencing, was arrested following numerous complaints from parents and guardians of children who had been photographed by him. The allegations came to light after children from three different schools reported inappropriate behavior during their portrait sessions. Fuller’s role involved working for a company that specialized in school photography, covering the southeastern region of England. He had been employed by this company since June 2002, and his position gave him access to vulnerable children during their school hours.

According to court proceedings, Fuller would position children on a toolbox in front of a screen for their photographs. Classmates were instructed to stay behind the screen to avoid seeing the process. It was during these moments that Fuller committed the sexual assaults, exploiting the trust placed in him by the schools, the children, and their families. Prosecutor Vivien Goddard detailed to St Albans Crown Court that Fuller’s misconduct occurred over two days in October of the previous year, with the incidents spanning multiple locations in Kent, Hertfordshire, and Buckinghamshire.

Fuller, who is married, pleaded guilty to 20 counts of indecent assault involving girls aged between eight and 11. His defense attorney, Andel Singh, acknowledged Fuller’s early guilty plea and expressed that his client felt genuine remorse, offering apologies to the victims and their families. Despite this, the judge, Findlay Baker QC, emphasized the gravity of Fuller’s breach of trust, stating, “You have breached the trust placed in you by your employers, the schools, the girls, and their families.”

In sentencing, Fuller was given a prison term of 14 months. Additionally, he received an extended license period of 28 months, which could see him recalled to jail if he fails to participate in a sex offender treatment program. Fuller was also prohibited from working with children in the future and was placed on the sex offender register for a decade.

Following the sentencing, Hertfordshire Police’s Detective Chief Inspector Jerry Tattersall praised the bravery of the children who reported Fuller’s misconduct. “He used his position to abuse children entrusted into his professional care in a most callous and calculated way,” Tattersall stated. “It is thanks to the courage of these children that we were able to arrest him swiftly and prevent further offenses.”

It is noteworthy that Fuller had undergone vetting by his employer and had no prior criminal record before these offenses came to light, highlighting the severity and betrayal of trust involved in this case.