Primary school headteacher jailed for filming young boys

A primary school headteacher who secretly filmed young boys getting changed and downloaded images of children as young as two being abused has been jailed for four years and four months.
Primary school headteacher Timothy Moule who has been jailed for four years and four months at Stafford Crown Court, after he secretly filmed young boys getting changed and downloaded images of children as young as two being abused. Photo credit: West Mercia Police/PA WirePrimary school headteacher Timothy Moule who has been jailed for four years and four months at Stafford Crown Court, after he secretly filmed young boys getting changed and downloaded images of children as young as two being abused. Photo credit: West Mercia Police/PA Wire
Primary school headteacher Timothy Moule who has been jailed for four years and four months at Stafford Crown Court, after he secretly filmed young boys getting changed and downloaded images of children as young as two being abused. Photo credit: West Mercia Police/PA Wire

Timothy Moule, who was his school's safeguarding lead, committed offences of voyeurism and amassed indecent images over an 11-year period, Stafford Crown Court heard.

The married 47-year-old, who was the head of schools in Wolverhampton and Shropshire after a "stellar" rise through the teaching ranks, pleaded guilty to six charges of voyeurism and two of possessing more than 3,400 indecent images.

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The court heard Moule was arrested in April last year after a police inquiry into inappropriate contact with a teenage boy which fell short of criminal behaviour.

Opening the facts of the case, prosecutor Howard Searle said Moule was sacked after indecent images, downloaded following 1,700 separate paedophile-related web searches, were found on a hard drive and laptop.

Moule, of Severn Way, Cressage, near Shrewsbury, told police he had not gained sexual gratification from possessing the images but refused to comment further after images of his voyeurism victims were recovered.

Passing sentence on Moule, the Recorder of Stafford, Judge Michael Chambers QC said: "It is difficult to envisage a more gross breach of trust.

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"When you were first confronted with your offending you denied the matter and went no comment - as was your right - in later interviews, which doesn't say much about your remorse."

The judge said of the indecent image offences: "You and others need to understand that there are real children out there being filmed.

"In this particular case it's an aggravating feature that they are seen to be in pain and distress."

The judge, who imposed a sexual harm prevention order, also said the risk posed by Moule of further offending was high.

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Defence barrister Jasvir Mann told the court: "Little can be said which mitigates the conduct that he engaged in. He knows there is no excuse for accessing the material that he plainly did."

Commenting on the prosecution, Jeanette Bryant, Senior Crown Prosecutor with the West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service's Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit, said: "The defendant admitted to voyeurism and taking indecent photographs of a child, and he will now have to deal with the consequences of his actions."