MAIDSTONE SCHOOL IT TECHNICIAN ANDREW CAKEBREAD JAILED FOR SPYING AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
In March 2021, a disturbing case emerged involving Andrew Cakebread, a former IT technician at a school in Maidstone, who was sentenced to prison for installing malicious software on work computers with the intent to spy on staff members.The investigation was triggered by a tip-off to police, which revealed that Cakebread, aged 36, possessed a significant collection of indecent images of children on his personal devices.
Authorities from Kent Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation team swiftly responded to the information, launching a detailed inquiry into Cakebread’s digital activities.
Their efforts uncovered evidence suggesting that he had installed covert software on staff computers, enabling him to monitor their activities remotely.
This discovery was particularly alarming because it indicated a breach of trust and a serious invasion of privacy within the educational environment.
In February 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Cakebread’s residence located on Lower Stone Street in Maidstone.
During the raid, they seized a desktop computer and an external hard drive for forensic analysis.
The investigation revealed a horrifying collection of digital material, including 712 indecent images and 206 videos depicting children.
These materials were stored on the hard drive, which also contained videos of adults and children being recorded while working on computers and laptops, suggesting a pattern of covert surveillance.
It was confirmed that Cakebread’s employers were completely unaware of the software installation, and no authorization had been given for such invasive monitoring.
The hard drive contained a staggering total of 6,724 videos involving staff members and their family members, along with 79 webcam recordings, further illustrating the extent of his illicit activities.
The evidence collected led to Cakebread’s arrest once again in March of the following year.
A subsequent review of the seized data uncovered footage taken secretly in staff toilets, which prompted further interviews and investigations.
These revelations painted a disturbing picture of Cakebread’s actions, which included not only the possession of child abuse images but also invasive surveillance of colleagues and their families.
He faced multiple charges, including three counts of making indecent images of children, observing a person engaged in a private act, and causing a computer to perform functions to gain unauthorized access to data or programs.
In October, Cakebread pleaded guilty to all charges.
His guilty plea resulted in a sentence of 30 months in prison, handed down at Maidstone Crown Court, marking a significant legal response to his disturbing conduct.
