Surfing England has been made aware of the arrest and subsequent conviction of Lee Bartlett who has pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children and having possession of 183 Category A images, 244 Category B images and 177 Category C images.
The charges relate to the time period from June 2018 to June 2020.
The conviction is particularly shocking given his prominent position within the surfing community and his track record as a competitor. Whilst the conviction is in no way related to any connection with Surfing England or Lee Bartlett’s role as an occasional surf contest announcer, we would like to stress that we take Safeguarding and Child Protection extremely seriously and are working with the Child Protection in Sport Unit (NSPCC) to keep developing and evolving the standards which help keep our sport safe for young people.
If this case has triggered any concerns you have in the behaviour of others toward children or vulnerable adults, please step forward and report it via the NSPCC 24hr helpline: 0808 800 5000 or help@nspcc.org.uk
Children with concerns and contact Childline on 0800 1111 or childline.org.uk at anytime 365 days a year.
