A paedophile teacher who used 'spy pens' to take more than one million 'upskirt' pictures of pupils has been jailed. Mathew Gilkes employed secret cameras concealed in pens to capture vile photographs beneath the clothing of young individuals.
Details of the Offences
The 47-year-old also created fake social media accounts, pretending to be a teenager, to manipulate girls into sending indecent images and videos of themselves. His criminal activities were uncovered when he was caught taking pictures of children at a leisure centre in Chorley, Lancashire, in August 2024. A vehicle trace from the car park led to his identification.
Police Investigation
When police searched his home and workplace, they discovered over 80 devices, including mobile phones, computers, laptops, a school-issue laptop, spy pens, handheld cameras, and memory cards containing thousands of indecent images of children. Some images were of pupils at a school where he worked as an ICT teacher in Greater Manchester, captured using pen cameras and tiny cube cameras.
Gilkes also posed online as a teenage boy, speaking to a large number of underage girls, grooming them, and pressuring them to send images to him, according to Lancashire Constabulary.
Legal Proceedings
Gilkes admitted 42 charges, including operating equipment beneath clothing without consent (upskirting), engaging in sexual communication with a child, indecent images offences, and causing or inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity. He was jailed for 16 years, with an additional five-year licence period, at Preston Crown Court on Friday, May 15. He was also given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.
Statements from Authorities
Detective Constable Holly McClave of Lancashire Constabulary said: 'Gilkes is a highly dangerous man who has shown persistent predatory behaviour towards young girls who he has taken advantage of, groomed, and exploited for his own sexual gratification. The victims in this case have shown incredible bravery in speaking about what happened to them, and I commend them for their courage. I hope this sentence gives them some sense that justice has been done.'
Stacey Gosling, senior crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, added: 'He gave no thought to the lasting damage his abuse would have on young victims and, when caught by police, was found to have a staggering number of indecent images showing his depraved offending knew no limits.'
