A paedophile principal blamed his attempts to groom more than 100 boys on his rapid rise to success.
Nick Clayton, from Hoylake, held lewd Facebook chats with 131 children aged as young as 10 while working as the principal of a British international school in Iraq. Liverpool Crown Court this week heard the 38-year-old's position of power "went to his head and enabled him to behave in a completely inappropriate, destructive way".
He contacted the profiles of 131 boys - mostly based in South Asia - over a three-month period in 2017 in order to "solicit" indecent images of the youngsters. Jonathan Rogers, prosecuting, described how the conversations also showed "evidence of travelling to meet children" - although Clayton was only charged in connection with attempts to groom four teens.
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After receiving intelligence that a 13-year-old boy from Cambodia had been contacted on Messenger by a man who asked for photos of his naked upper torso, the National Crime Agency investigators identified the head teacher as the perpetrator. He subsequently arranged to pay for the boy to travel to Malaysia so they could meet.
Chats were found with victims in Singapore, Thailand, Iraq, Morocco and Turkey. These includes a 13-year-old in Indonesia, a child aged 14 from the Philippines and a 16-year-old in Sri Lanka. The paedophile "bribed them with gifts" before demanding sick photographs. Clayton told one: "You have a camera on your phone, it's your turn now."
When the boy did not send him images, he said: "I'm impatient now, you are just taking advantage. You need me, but you keep your body private."
Clayton - of Charles Road - asked his victim to erase the chat logs afterwards, having also offered a 16-year-old "travel and sponsorship". He then contacted Facebook claiming he had noticed months of "unusual activity" on his account - which he later deleted - and claimed he had been hacked.
The disgraced teacher, who has no previous convictions, was arrested at an airport in October 2017 as he flew back into the UK. Martine Snowdon, defending, described how her client was now living with his mum at their Wirral home and acted as her carer.
She added: "Mr Clayton was in denial over what he had done and the impact of it when he was arrested. He can see, when he looks back five years ago, he was living in a very different environment where the protective factors which existed when living at home in a close knit family did not exist.
"He rose quickly, which gave him feelings of empowerment which went to his head and enabled him to behave in a completely inappropriate, destructive way. He has also lived for five years with the fear that this day may come."
Clayton, who was supported by his parents and sister in the public gallery, admitted three counts of attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child and one of attempting to incite the sexual exploitation of a child. Sentencing him to 20 months in prison, Recorder Ian Harris said: "The communications were predatory, persistent and repulsive.
"You sought to exploit young males and corrupt them. All of this was for your own sexual gratification." Clayton was handed a 15-year sexual harm prevention order and told to sign the sex offenders' register for 10 years. He must also pay a victim surcharge.
Hazel Stewart, from the NCA, said: “Nicholas Clayton abused his position of trust as a head teacher by attempting to sexually contact and exploit children, using technology to access hundreds of potential victims across the globe. Clayton was very cautious and careful in his communications, making them appear to be innocent.
"But as NCA investigators, we could see the patterns of predatory grooming he was using on vulnerable children. Protecting children from sex offenders is a priority for the NCA, and we continue to pursue criminals in the UK and internationally to ensure abusers like Clayton are held to account.”
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