Primary teacher faces jail after secretly filming girls at school

A primary teacher is facing jail after admitting secretly filming pupils and young girls at the school where he worked.

James Hughes, 54, used his phone and ipad to record pupils after taking them out of class for one-to-one lessons.

He would get the girls to stand on chairs and put their legs up in the air while he recorded them under a desk.

Hughes, who was a principal teacher at the school in North Lanarkshire, was only caught when three teenagers who were doing work experience at his school caught him filming them.

One of the girls sneaked into his office and discovered photos of herself on his ipad and reported Hughes to the headteacher.

Police were contacted and a search of his school office and home in Uddingston, Lanarkshire, uncovered 260 images and 79 recordings on his phone and computers.

Hughes has appeared at Airdrie Sheriff Court and pleaded guilty to two charges of voyeurism under the Sexual Offences Scotland Act by secretly filming and photographing girls aged between eight and 16.

Fiscal depute Anne Frances Hilley told the court: “He was their teacher and they trusted him. They were ashamed and embarrassed at what had happened.

“He was in a position of trust. They were all pupils in the care of the accused who was an experienced teacher. They thought of him as a great teacher until this happened. All are now aware of what he was doing.”

Sheriff Petra Collins deferred sentence next month and placed Hughes on the sex offenders’ register.

She said: “I am prepared to continue bail but you have to appreciate that you have pled guilty to what are extremely serious matters and at the forefront of my mind is a custodial sentence.”