A former teacher has been sentenced to 16 years in prison after police uncovered what is believed to be more than a million up-skirting images of pupils stored on his devices. Matthew Gilkes, 47, formerly an ICT teacher at a Greater Manchester high school, was caught photographing children at a leisure centre in Chorley in 2024, according to Lancashire Police.
He was identified and arrested after his vehicle was traced leaving the premises. Over 80 devices were seized from his home in Chorley, including memory cards, cameras, spy pens, and laptops — one of which had been issued by his school. A significant number of the images depicted pupils from his school, captured using cube cameras and cameras concealed within pens.
Gilkes also created fake social media profiles, posing as a teenage boy to contact multiple underage girls and coerce them into sending indecent photographs. He pleaded guilty in November 2025 to 42 charges, including up-skirting, engaging in sexual communication with a child, possessing indecent images of children, and causing or inciting a girl aged between 13 and 15 to engage in sexual activity.
At Preston Crown Court, Gilkes was sentenced to 16 years in prison, with an additional five-year licence period, and was handed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. Detective Constables Holly McClave and Rachel Phillips of Lancashire Constabulary's Exploitation Team led the investigation.
DC McClave said: "Matthew Gilkes is a highly dangerous man who has shown persistent predatory behaviour towards young girls who he has taking advantage of, groomed and exploited for his own sexual gratification. The victims in this case have shown incredible bravery in speaking about what happened to them and I commend them for their courage. I hope this sentence gives them some sense that justice has been done."
Lancashire Police encourage anyone who has experienced sexual abuse to report it online or call 101, assuring that victims will be believed and supported. Specialist help is also available through Victim Support.
