A former Beijing-based international school teacher last known to be employed in May 2012 is wanted in the UK in connection with the distribution of indecent images of children and the rape of a child.

According to the Media Relations Office of the Surrey Police, Neil Robinson, 47, is wanted in connection with crimes that took place in the UK between 2000 and 2002.

The story went viral this morning on Facebook, after former students discovered he had been profiled in the BBC television show Crimewatch. The episode aired on September 27, 2012.

When contacted for comment, Robinson’s former employer, Beijing World Youth Academy (BWYA), confirmed he worked at the school for three years and left abruptly of his own accord in May 2012. The last anyone at the school heard from him was in June of last year when he sent them an email stating he was in the UK renewing his passport.

A school spokesperson stated that while Robinson worked there, there were no formal or informal complaints made against him.

Since this story came to the school’s attention a little over a month ago, BWYA states that it has addressed concerns from staff who worked with Robinson as well his former students and their parents. The school also immediately alerted the Chinese authorities about their connection with Robinson, and has been in touch with the Surrey police.

Former students of Robinson report that he was a generally well-liked teacher who once joked that he was “writing a porn novel.” He was known as a jovial person and was apparently married to a Chinese woman.

News of the accusations shocked most former students. “It didn’t seem to me that he’d be someone who’d do something like that,” said one 2011 graduate.

Robinson has a profile on the job hunting site NetworkESL.com, last updated in 2010, which states that at the time had had 8 years of experience in China. He also has a profile on Chinese social media site renren.com where he goes by the Chinese name 龙飞 (Long Fei).

In all likelihood he is no longer in Beijing but could still be in China. A former student recalls Robinson telling him at the 2011 student prom that he was planning on teaching in another province.

If you have any information on Robinson’s whereabouts, contact us at truerunkids@126.com. If you have specific tips on where Robinson may be found, contact the Surrey Police at +44 01483 639 862 or Crimewatch at +44 0800 555 111.

Elizabeth Wu contributed additional reporting to this article



In the interest of full disclosure, BWYA is an advertiser with beijingkids.