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Published February 11, 2025 9:13pm Updated February 11, 2025 9:13pm
A teacher who took upskirting photos of pistillate pupils has been jailed for 2 years aft storing indecent images of children – and utmost pornography – connected a school-issued laptop.
Former school rugby coach Richard Lees, 43, taught astatine a schoolhouse successful Macclesfield, Cheshire, and was archetypal arrested successful July 2022 for an unrelated offence for which constabulary took nary further action.
Cops seized devices from him including a idiosyncratic encrypted hard thrust and his school-issued laptop arsenic portion of the probe and recovered the astir superior ‘category A’ images of children connected the devices, arsenic good arsenic utmost pornography.
The teacher denied possession, saying idiosyncratic other indispensable person gained entree to the device. Cops arrested him and charged him with possession of the images successful September 2023.
Further probe of his encrypted hard thrust recovered upskirting photos of pistillate pupils that Lees had seemingly taken connected schoolhouse grounds portion helium worked arsenic a teacher.
Cops besides recovered videos Lees had taken of women successful his location bath without their knowledge, starring to his 2nd apprehension successful September 2024.
Lees, from Cheadle, Greater Manchester, pleaded blameworthy to 5 offences of voyeurism, possession of indecent images of children, and possession of utmost pornography astatine Chester Crown Court.
He was jailed for 2 years connected Friday, February 7. Cheshire Police’s Detective Constable Alison Shields said: ‘We would similar to commend the victims of the voyeurism for their courageousness passim this probe and consequent tribunal process.
What is upskirting, and tin I study it to the police?
Upskirting is simply a superior transgression which involves taking indecent images of radical without their consent, by angling cameras upwards nether their skirts.
Between 2019 and 2022, 313 offences of ‘upskirting’ commenced prosecution successful the magistrates’ courts, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.
The 2021 UN Women UK YouGov survey revealed that 71% of women of each ages successful the UK person experienced immoderate signifier of intersexual harassment successful public, including having images taken without their consent. This fig roseate to 86% for women aged betwixt 18 and 24.
However, hardly immoderate person reported the crimes, with the survey uncovering that implicit 95% of each women did not study the incidences of intersexual harassment.
The 2 main reasons for this were ‘I didn’t deliberation the incidental was superior enough’ (55%), and ‘I didn’t deliberation reporting it would help’ (45%).
How tin I study it to the police?
It takes courageousness to study thing uncomfortable but your study could halt it happening to idiosyncratic else, oregon perchance assistance uncover much superior offences.
If your concern is an exigency arsenic idiosyncratic is successful contiguous danger, oregon you consciousness things could crook heated oregon convulsive soon, telephone 999.
Those with a proceeding oregon code impairment tin usage the textphone work 18000 oregon substance 999 if they’ve pre-registered with the emergencySMS service.
However, if it’s not an exigency upskirtig and different voyeurism offences tin beryllium reported by calling 101. You could besides spell to a constabulary station, oregon marque a report online here.
‘Lees held a presumption of spot and should person been idiosyncratic children could spell to for support. Instead, helium was hiding a twisted secret. He adjacent had the audacity to store immoderate of the indecent images of children connected a school-issued laptop.
‘Thankfully, Lees’ shocking crimes were uncovered and our officers worked hard to stitchery a catalogue of grounds against him and bring him earlier the courts.
‘I anticipation this volition besides promote anyone who whitethorn person been a unfortunate of immoderate akin offences to travel guardant and study it to us.’
Get successful interaction with our quality squad by emailing america astatine webnews@metro.co.uk.
For much stories similar this, check our quality page.
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