ANDREW WHATMOUGH FROM LUDGERSHALL SENTENCED FOR UP-SKIRT FILMING OF SCHOOLGIRLS

In June 2017, a disturbing case emerged involving Andrew Whatmough, a coach driver from Ludgershall, who was convicted of filming schoolgirls under their skirts using a hidden camera. The incident spanned over two years and involved the covert recording of minors, leading to a significant criminal sentence.

Andrew Whatmough, aged 35, was employed by Parnhams Coaches, a company based in Ludgershall that provided transportation services for school children across Wiltshire and Hampshire. The Salisbury Crown Court heard that despite having no prior convictions, Whatmough had been banned from working with children by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) in 2014. The court did not specify the reasons behind this ban, but his defense attorney, Berenice Mulvanny, mentioned an 'unpleasant action from 1997' as context.

The case came to light when police investigations revealed that Whatmough’s own family discovered incriminating material on his electronic devices. His mother had lent his PlayStation to his step-brother, who uncovered a collection of illicit films stored on the device. Further examination of a memory stick belonging to Whatmough uncovered additional disturbing footage.

Prosecutor Dawn Hyland explained that the hidden camera, discreetly installed near the steps of the coach, had captured numerous images of young girls under 16, often focusing on their underwear and, on some occasions, their genitals. Police identified approximately 20 victims through facial recognition technology and analysis of their school uniforms. However, it was also noted that more girls had been filmed, but their identities remained unknown.

During the court proceedings, Judge Andrew Barnett described the impact statements from the victims as 'very distressing.' The judge emphasized that the girls believed they were safe when boarding the school bus, only to discover that their privacy had been violated in such a heinous manner. The police investigation also uncovered more than 1,500 images of children on two phones seized from Whatmough, including 114 images classified as the most serious 'category A' indecent images.

In interviews, Whatmough admitted to possessing indecent images and filming minors between September 2013 and September 2015. He expressed remorse, stating that he was 'in a dark place and didn’t know how to get out,' and insisted that he did not have any sexual interest in children. Despite his claims, he pleaded guilty to 11 counts of outraging public decency by secretly filming individuals under 16, along with charges of possessing indecent images and engaging in barred activities.

Judge Barnett sentenced Whatmough to 14 months in prison and imposed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. The judge condemned his actions, stating, 'For two years while you were working as a coach driver, you installed a device in your coach which enabled you to film those entering your coach, effectively from the feet upwards, and you obtained a number of unpleasant, indecent, and disgusting pictures that invaded the victims’ privacy and betrayed their trust.' The court further remarked that both the victims and the public should be outraged by such behavior.

Concluding the sentencing, Judge Barnett made it clear that the sentence could not be suspended, underscoring the severity of the crime and the importance of protecting children from such predatory conduct.