Primary teacher filmed pupils getting changed

GARY ELLINS

A PRIMARY teacher who committed a "breathtaking" breach of trust by filming children as young as eight getting changed for PE lessons has been jailed for 12 months.

Gary Ellins, who taught at a Tameside primary school, was caught out when police began to investigate his pervert father, Jerry.

Police working on a separate investigation about indecent child images carried out a search at the home of Jerry Ellins, where his teacher son was also living.

They uncovered three hard drives and five pen drives containing webcam videos which had been taken by Gary Ellins.

Manchester Crown Court heard how Ellins Junior (45) had previously worked in commerce and property in London before deciding to become a teacher later in life.

He worked at the school for four years, and the court heard that he began to develop a "sexual attraction towards pre-pubescent females", aged eight to 11.

Prosecutor Gavin Howie said the school had strict safeguarding rules and guidelines about filming children.

Yet Ellins set up a webcam attached to his laptop to secretly film pupils, predominantly females as young as eight, changing out of their clothes into their PE kits in the classroom.

He left the room before the children changed but used the footage for his "own personal sexual gratification", the court heard.

The filming happened on two separate occasions, Mr Howie said, with the longest video lasting 28 minutes. Ellins, formerly of Vernon Drive, Marple, and more recently of Forsyth Street, Rochdale, had stood down from his role at the school when police raided his father's house, where Ellins was also living.

His father, Jerry Ellins, has previously pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children in a separate hearing before magistrates in Stockport, and will be sentenced at Minshull Street Crown Court later this month.

His son was arrested but made no comment to police in interview. However, he later pleaded guilty to two counts of voyeurism and six counts of making indecent images of children.

Defending, Michelle Brown said that Ellins has shown "insight" into the damage his behaviour has caused, and that he recognises the shame his behaviour has brought on himself and his family. She added that Ellins had experiences of a consensual sexual nature with other children early in his life, and he had been increasingly "isolated" as he found it difficult to form intimate relationships.

Ms Brown said: "He recognises the onus is now on him to get to grips with his problem. That is something he is willing and motivated to do."

Addressing Ellins, Judge Martin Rudland said: "The images which I have seen clearly show you in a calculating way setting the camera.

"Your image was caught while doing it, and leaving the room while the children who were in your care innocently and happily were allowed to change in the privacy of their classroom, in order to prepare for their gym class."

Judge Rutland added that his behaviour represented a "breathtaking" breach of trust, "not only of the parents of those children but also of your employers who had gone through the appropriate training and safeguarding procedures."

He added: "Happily, the children themselves were blissfully unaware of what was taking place."

Ellins was also given a five year sexual harm prevention order, and told to sign the sex offenders' register for 10 years.

He more recently worked as a lecturer in the department of Primary Teacher Education at Manchester Metropolitan University, and was previously suspended. His offending does not relate to his time at the university.