Richard Michael Watkins

Richard Michael Watkins, a 29-year-old primary school teacher from Calne, Wiltshire, has been sentenced to an indefinite jail term for his involvement in serious child sex offences. Watkins, who taught at Derry Hill Primary School, exploited his position to secretly record children undressing for physical education lessons using a spy camera concealed in a pen. His home was raided by Wiltshire Police in November 2010 following a tip-off from Interpol, uncovering a laptop containing 23,433 indecent images of children, including three videos and 234 pictures classified at level five—the most severe category of abuse.

The investigation began when an internet company in Luxembourg identified a website hosted on its services that was distributing child pornography. Watkins' IP address was traced to accessing the site, leading to his details being forwarded to Interpol and subsequently to UK authorities. Upon raiding his residence on Braemor Road, officers found the incriminating material while his wife was pregnant. Watkins confessed immediately to the offences, having already resigned from his teaching post after his arrest.

At Swindon Crown Court, Watkins pleaded guilty to 11 charges of possessing and making indecent images of children, as well as two counts of voyeurism. Judge Douglas Field, in passing sentence, described Watkins' actions as driven by 'perverted sexual gratification' and highlighted the significant risk he posed to young children, particularly pre-pubescent girls. 'You are a school teacher and have been teaching young children, and you surreptitiously took pictures of them changing for your own perverted sexual gratification,' the judge stated. 'Without treatment you are particularly dangerous to young children.' Watkins will be eligible for parole after two years but will remain imprisoned until deemed no longer dangerous.

In addition to the indefinite custodial sentence, Watkins was placed on the sex offenders' register and received a lifetime ban from working with children. A statement from Detective Superintendent Sarah Bodell, on behalf of Wiltshire Police and Wiltshire Council, emphasised the gravity of the offences: 'Viewing and downloading indecent images of children is child abuse. It fuels a worldwide demand and leads to further abuse of innocent children.' The statement clarified that while the voyeurism charges related to actions at the school, they did not involve indecency, and the indecent images did not feature children from Derry Hill Primary School. Police and council officials expressed gratitude to the school's staff and parents for their support during the emotive investigation.

This case, reported by the BBC on 22 February 2011, underscores the hidden dangers posed by individuals in positions of trust and the importance of international cooperation in combating child exploitation online. Sources include court proceedings at Swindon Crown Court and official statements from Wiltshire Police.