A West Australian teacher who indecently filmed his students changing has been jailed for more than two years.
The 60-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, used a hidden pen camera to record girls between the ages of nine and 14, according to Perth Now.
The filming occurred during March 2014 and 2016, as the female students changed into school uniforms in a disabled toilet after swimming lessons.
A West Australian teacher, 60, who indecently filmed his students changing after swimming lessons has been jailed for two year and three months (stock photo)
The man had worked as a teacher for nearly 40 years and pleaded guilty to 42 counts of indecently recording or attempting to record a child.
He was caught when a fellow teacher discovered the device, which had captured the victims both naked and in their underwear.
On Firday, the District Court of WA heard excerpts from a letter penned by the man that stated he ‘got no pleasure’ from his actions and was instead ‘repulsed’.
‘I expect to burn in hell for my sins… this behaviour was impulsive and was not long-term,’ the note said.
The recording occurred during March 2014 and 2016, as the girls undressed in a disabled toilet, with a note written by the man and read out Friday quoting him as saying ‘I expect to burn in hell for my sins’ (stock photo)
Judge Stavrianou handed down a two-year and three-month sentence, claiming the offence was a significant breach of trust.
‘The students in this case had a right to expect when they went into that change room they would be absolutely safe,’ he said.
During a hearing in July the defence argued that the man suffered from severe depression and had an abusive childhood.
He described his actions as a ‘power trip’ and said he made the recordings because he, ‘on some unconscious level, wanted to get caught’.
‘Now I feel like a total hypocrite and a monster,’ the defence quoted him as saying.