Jonathan Thomson-Glover (Picture: PA)
A former boarding school teacher who filmed dozens of pupils using hidden cameras set has been jailed for more than three years.
Jonathan Thomson-Glover, 53, who taught at Clifton College in Bristol, admitted 36 counts of making, taking and possessing indecent images of children.
Taunton Crown Court heard 130 victims were filmed by secret cameras at the school and an address in Cornwall over a 16-year period.
Thomson-Glover recorded more than 2,500 hours of footage to spy on pupils aged around 12 to 17 as they engaged in sexual activity and used the bathroom.
A former boarding school teacher who filmed dozens of pupils using hidden cameras set has been jailed for more than three years.
Jonathan Thomson-Glover, 53, who taught at Clifton College in Bristol, admitted 36 counts of making, taking and possessing indecent images of children.
Taunton Crown Court heard 130 victims were filmed by secret cameras at the school and an address in Cornwall over a 16-year period.
Thomson-Glover recorded more than 2,500 hours of footage to spy on pupils aged around 12 to 17 as they engaged in sexual activity and used the bathroom.
One of the hidden cameras the teacher placed at the school (Picture: PA)
He was caught after the National Crime Agency (NCA) traced an IP address used for downloading indecent images of children to one of his four computers.
Police then discovered footage of pupils on his computers, as well as 330 VHS tapes and a number of Hi-8 tapes found at three addresses relating to him.
There is no suggestion Thomson-Glover, who described his filming as ‘a compulsion fuelled by the internet’, shared his footage or made physical contact with pupils.
He was caught after the National Crime Agency (NCA) traced an IP address used for downloading indecent images of children to one of his four computers.
Police then discovered footage of pupils on his computers, as well as 330 VHS tapes and a number of Hi-8 tapes found at three addresses relating to him.
There is no suggestion Thomson-Glover, who described his filming as ‘a compulsion fuelled by the internet’, shared his footage or made physical contact with pupils.
His IP address was traced by police (Picture: PA)
Judge David Ticehurst jailed the teacher, who bowed his head throughout proceedings, for three years and nine months.
‘This activity took place while you were a highly respected and trusted teacher at a school in Bristol,’ the judge said.
‘You set up concealed cameras so as to enable you to watch and record the intimate and private acts of young boys and girls.
Judge David Ticehurst jailed the teacher, who bowed his head throughout proceedings, for three years and nine months.
‘This activity took place while you were a highly respected and trusted teacher at a school in Bristol,’ the judge said.
‘You set up concealed cameras so as to enable you to watch and record the intimate and private acts of young boys and girls.
The footage lasted 104 days (Picture: PA)
‘Time, money and effort would have been spent by you in setting up these cameras and recording devices.
‘The planning would have to have been meticulous – extreme care would have been taken by you to avoid the risk of detection.’
Thomson-Glover was first arrested at his parents’ house in Cullompton, Devon, in August 2014, following the NCA investigation.
‘Time, money and effort would have been spent by you in setting up these cameras and recording devices.
‘The planning would have to have been meticulous – extreme care would have been taken by you to avoid the risk of detection.’
Thomson-Glover was first arrested at his parents’ house in Cullompton, Devon, in August 2014, following the NCA investigation.
The haul of tapes and DVDs (Picture: PA)
Searches were carried out at the home, the address in Cornwall and his term-time address at Clifton College.
Hundreds of VHS tapes were seized, as well as laptops, hard drives and discs, leading to officers discovering footage taken from covert cameras.
This footage, lasting 104 days, matched ten scenes across Clifton College and the Cornwall address – with marks found where cameras had been installed.
Searches were carried out at the home, the address in Cornwall and his term-time address at Clifton College.
Hundreds of VHS tapes were seized, as well as laptops, hard drives and discs, leading to officers discovering footage taken from covert cameras.
This footage, lasting 104 days, matched ten scenes across Clifton College and the Cornwall address – with marks found where cameras had been installed.
The college said it was shocked by the discovery (Picture: PA)
A spokeswoman for Clifton College said the discovery of Thomson-Glover’s activity had been ‘profoundly disturbing’.
‘We have been shocked and appalled by the findings, which amount to an unforgivable breach of the trust placed in him by our community,’ she said.
‘The college has taken considerable steps to ensure, so far as it is possible to do so, that nothing like this can ever happen again.’
She said a series of reviews, including an external safeguarding review, had been carried out as well as physical searches of college buildings but no cameras had been found.
‘These revelations have shocked us all and we are determined that if there are any further lessons to be learned, we will learn them,’ the spokeswoman added.
A spokeswoman for Clifton College said the discovery of Thomson-Glover’s activity had been ‘profoundly disturbing’.
‘We have been shocked and appalled by the findings, which amount to an unforgivable breach of the trust placed in him by our community,’ she said.
‘The college has taken considerable steps to ensure, so far as it is possible to do so, that nothing like this can ever happen again.’
She said a series of reviews, including an external safeguarding review, had been carried out as well as physical searches of college buildings but no cameras had been found.
‘These revelations have shocked us all and we are determined that if there are any further lessons to be learned, we will learn them,’ the spokeswoman added.
Metro
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