Abusali Rahman, 37, a former supply teacher who covertly took upskirting images of a dozen girls in schools across Greater Manchester, broke down in tears during police questioning when detectives asked how he would feel if someone did the same to his own child. He later admitted 21 offences and was sentenced to six years in prison.
Rahman, of no fixed address but from Salford, had worked in high schools in Bolton, Bury and Salford. He had also looked up the social media profiles of girls he had taught, before stealing their images and using AI to sexualise them. Detectives found he had been planning to sell the pictures online to other paedophiles.
Breakdown during questioning
Throughout his interviews, Rahman repeatedly replied 'no comment'. The questioning revealed that the game was up. One moment stood out within the questioning.
“You’ve got a child yourself, haven’t you?,” the interviewing officer asked. Clearly becoming emotional, he could barely manage to reply 'no comment'.
“How would someone feel if someone did that to your child?,” the officer continued. It was then that Rahman began to sob, asking for the interview to be paused so he could compose himself.
After it resumed, Rahman resumed with his emotionless, 'no comment' replies. But when the case came to court, he confessed and admitted 21 offences.
Investigation and evidence
The police became involved after reports were made about three X accounts which featured 'images of numerous teenage school children', thought to be students at schools in Bolton. Police were able to trace the accounts to Rahman.
Rahman had used AI to sexualise images of one girl. In one her appearance had been altered so that she was wearing a bikini, and in another a PVC outfit. He had transposed the image of the same girl onto the face of an adult engaging in sexual activity.
An image of another girl was posted next to adults engaging in sexual activity, in which Rahman posted the caption, 'wish it could have been this young bop in the blacked scene instead'. The accounts had posted further images with captions such as 'daddy' and 'age gap'.
His laptop was seized and was found to contain upskirting images which had been taken 'covertly in schools'. Mr Farr said the upskirting images had been taken in 'corridors, classrooms and around the school'. Rahman was also found to have recorded the names and addresses of pupils.
Following his first arrest in June last year, Rahman said: “As soon as I knew it had been reported to the police, I stopped. I’m worried I’m going to lose my job.”
After a further arrest, he refused to give police the PIN number to his phone. Police discovered information within the notes section of his iPhone which promoted the sale of sexual content online, which he described as 'me best shots and vids'.
The note referenced a Telegram account, which, for a one time payment of £20, via a Paypal account, would allow users to receive what Rahman described as 'all the best 'candid candy'.
Rahman had made searches about 'how to upskirt without getting caught', and 'where to buy spy cameras'. He was involved in chats with a network of other paedophiles and discussed the 'sharing of images and interest in schoolgirls and upskirting'. He also searched what defences there could be if a teacher was arrested for making images of children, and what the sentence could be.
The upskirting images were taken between January and June last year. Rahman had downloaded almost 200 indecent images of children between December 2023 and June 2025.
Sentencing
Sentencing, Judge Kenderick Horne told Rahman: “You were a trusted supply teacher. Your position of trust gave you access to schools and classrooms.
“You were trusted to be in close proximity to female school pupils as young as 11. You abused that trust. You took photographs of the girls showing their underwear between their legs. You used equipment and methods that you had researched.
“In May 2025 you made preparations to set up a Telegram account in which you would charge £20 for sexual images which you described as 'Candid Candy'. I am sure that the images you were planning to sell were those you had taken at school.”
Rahman pleaded guilty to 12 counts of taking an indecent image of a child, four counts of publishing an obscene article, three counts of possessing indecent images of children, one count of distributing indecent images of children, and one count of voyeurism.
Defending, Emma Kehoe said of Rahman: “There is nothing in his life to suggest he has been anything other than a good member of society, a good husband, a good father, a good son, up to his arrest for these offences.
“He found himself out of control and unable to stop.” She said that his arrest 'came as a relief' to him.
Ms Kehoe said that Rahman had previously approached an imam for advice about his 'difficulties' but he was told to get married. “It wasn’t taken seriously,” she said. “But he did go and get married, he did as he was told. It was an arranged marriage. But it didn’t stop the difficulties he was having in his head, it didn’t stop his offending.”
She continued: “He [Rahman] does not in any way try to excuse his behaviour. He wants to make that exceptionally clear. He knows what he did is horrendous. He is a father himself.”
Rahman had worked in schools across the North West since October 2022 but only qualified in July the following year. He had hopes of becoming a full-time teacher, but had been unable to find a post. This weekend, Rahman is days into a six year prison sentence, and any thoughts of pursuing his 'dream' job as a full time teacher lie in ruins due to his horrifying actions.
