Teacher caught with 'paedophile manuals'

A teacher caught with more than 43,000 child abuse images and two "paedophile manuals" also used AI to generate further "horrific" images, police have said.

Charles Cornelius, 57, had been living in Thailand and working with the British Council while stockpiling the "depraved" material, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.

The NCA was notified that an account linked to Cornelius uploaded 10 indecent images of children to the internet during a visit to the UK in June 2022.

Cornelius, from Ellesmere Port in Cheshire, was arrested at Manchester Airport on 9 August 2023. He was jailed at Chester Crown Court earlier this week for three-and-a-half years.

The NCA said Cornelius had been teaching in various countries, including with children, before he was apprehended.

Analysis of his devices discovered both genuine and AI-generated child sexual abuse images, as well as prompts used to create AI images.

Police said the "paedophile manuals" were recovered despite attempts to encrypt devices and conceal material.

He pleaded guilty to all charges at Manchester Magistrates' Court in September.

Outside court, NCA operations manager Danielle Pownall said: "Cornelius sought out and created images showing horrific abuse of children, including using AI to create further depraved imagery.

"His creation of paedophile manuals reflects a disturbing desire to prey on the most vulnerable in society.

"He did all this whilst putting himself in a position of trust around children."

Cornelius admitted the possession and production of indecent images of children and the possession of the paedophile manuals.

As well as being jailed, he received an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and must sign the sex offenders' register for life.

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