IPCC investigators outline probe into Essex Police after Martin Goldberg scandal

Thorpe Hall School deputy headteacher Martin Goldberg killed himself after he discovered police were investigating him for downloading indecent images of children.

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre was sent 2,300 names of suspects in July 2012, but they were only sent to Essex Police in November 2013 by the National Crime Agency.

Essex Police sat on the information for a further nine months and only began investigating on September 9 this year.

When they eventually did, they discovered he was a teacher. They immediately tried to get a search warrant from magistrates but were refused, so went to his house in Dalwood, Shoebury, in the hope he would voluntarily offer himself up for questioning.

He refused, and the next day he was found hanged in his house. Attempts had been made to burn digital equipment, which were found to contain 7,257 indecent images of children.

He had produced nearly 600 images himself by filming Thorpe Hall School pupils in the school’s changing rooms, in Southend Tennis and Leisure Centre and two other locations which police have been unable to identify.

Essex Police referred itself to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) on September 30 which decided to carry out a formal investigation into the force.

It has now revealed which areas it will examine. These are:

• what actions officers took, including risk assessments and safeguarding, once Essex Police knew about Mr Goldberg’s job in a school;

• the unsuccessful application for a search warrant;

• the risk assessments made by officers before visiting Mr Goldberg’s home on 9 September and why they did not arrest him at that time;

• how quickly Essex Police processed information received from the NCA related to Mr Goldberg; and

• whether the investigation by Essex Police was conducted along national and force guidelines with proper supervision.