Jail for teacher who used ‘spy pens’ to take upskirt photos of pupils

A pen used by Matthew Gilkes, who took more than a million upskirt images of pupils using secret cameras. Picture: Lancashire Constabulary/PA

A former teacher has been jailed after he took more than a million upskirt images of pupils using secret cameras hidden in pens.

The prolific offending of Matthew Gilkes, aged 47, was unmasked after he was caught taking photographs of children under cubicles at a leisure centre in Chorley, Lancashire, in August 2024.

He was arrested after his vehicle was traced leaving the car park, said Lancashire Police.

A search of his home and workplace uncovered more than 80 devices, including a school issue laptop, along with spy pens, handheld cameras, and memory cards containing numerous indecent images of children.

Many of the images Gilkes had taken were of pupils at his school.

It was also discovered he set up fake social media accounts to pose as a teenage boy to groom and manipulate girls to send indecent images and videos of themselves.

On Friday, Gilkes, who taught at a high school in Greater Manchester, was jailed at Preston Crown Court for 16 years and told he must serve an additional five years on licence.

He pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to various offences including operating equipment beneath clothing without consent, engaging in sexual communication with a child and possessing indecent images of children.

Gilkes, formerly of Harrison Rd, Chorley, was also given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Following sentencing, Detective Constable Holly McClave said: “Matthew 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, said: “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.”