A school caretaker has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for secretly watching young girls change during a dance show at a school in East Lancashire. Stuart Martin, 50, used a CCTV camera to observe girls as young as 11 changing costumes in a corridor between sets. Despite agreeing with the dance group teacher on the location for changing, Martin failed to disclose the presence of the camera.
The incident came to light when the school’s IT manager noticed unusual activity on a CCTV terminal focused on the corridor where the girls were changing. The IT manager raised the issue with the headteacher and regional estates manager, leading to Martin’s arrest.
During the court proceedings, it was revealed that most of the show’s performers were girls under 16, with the girls Martin watched ranging from 11 to 14 years old. Judge Ian Unsworth strongly condemned Martin’s actions, stating that he had deeply upset the victims’ parents.
Furthermore, the court highlighted that Martin had breached a CCTV agreement he signed months before the incident, which required him to comply with safeguarding protocols and report any concerns to the IT team. Despite his denial of wrongdoing and claims of checking the CCTV for potential damages by the dance group, Martin was found guilty.
In response to the situation, a parent of one of the girls expressed hope that Martin had learned from his actions and would not harm anyone else in the future. Martin was also issued a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years and mandated to register as a sex offender for the same period. His defense lawyer, Emma Kehoe, emphasized that Martin had acknowledged his wrongdoing and taken steps towards rehabilitation since the incident over two years ago.