A paedophile teacher and rugby coach who took ‘upskirt’ photos of schoolgirls and stored extreme pornography on his laptop has been banned from working in schools for life. 

Richard Lees, 44, who worked at a school in Macclesfield, Cheshire, was convicted in November 2024 of four counts of voyeurism, recording images beneath the clothing of another and three counts of making indecent photographs of children. 

He was also convicted of possession of indecent photographs of a child and possessing an extreme photographic image. 

The paedophile was handed a two-year jail sentence on Friday, February 7, 2025, and has now been struck off after a teaching misconduct panel ruled he was a ‘continuing risk to women and girls’. 

He was first arrested for an unrelated offence in July 2022 – for which police took no further action.

Officers seized a personal encrypted hard drive and laptop as part of their investigation and discovered the most serious ‘category A’ images of children, in addition to extreme pornography. 

Police found upskirting photos of schoolgirls he had apparently taken on school grounds as well as videos he had taken of women in the bathroom at his home without their knowledge. 

Lees was arrested again in September 2024 and charged with new offences the next month. 

Richard Lees, 44, has been banned from teaching for life after upskirting female pupils

A Teaching Regulation Agency misconduct panel investigating the paedophile found that his crimes involved ‘serious sexual offences, some of which involved children’. 

It found against Lees ‘gross breaches of trust and included offending inside and outside school’, and highlighted ‘safeguarding and wellbeing’ concerns for pupils. 

The panel noted that ‘the offences relating to indecent photographs were on a school computer’ – and made a case to Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson to have him removed from the teaching register altogether.

It ruled that the paedophile had a ‘lack of apparent remorse’ and ‘considered that the risk of repetition was high’. 

‘In my judgment, the lack of insight and remorse means that there is some risk of the repetition of this behaviour and this puts at risk the future wellbeing of pupils,’ decision maker David Oatley said.

‘Mr Richard Lees is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.

‘Furthermore, in view of the seriousness of the allegations found proved against him, I have decided that Mr Lees shall not be entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach.’

Lees was sentenced to two years in prison at Chester Crown Court (pictured) in February 

The judge told Lees during his sentencing last February: ‘It seems that you are somebody who finds it difficult to display empathy. 

‘I accept that you have portrayed a great deal of shame around your behaviour but you clearly did not want to associate yourself with the images offences. 

‘Your explanation seems to be that they just appeared on your computer and you do not know how. 

‘That was initially your defence; you are not someone who would know how to download them. 

‘But it seems you certainly know how to use computer equipment and you know how to use it covertly. It is nonsense to suggest that they just appeared on your computer. 

‘It seems to me that you are not really ready to take responsibility for the fact that you have an unhealthy interest in viewing images of this type. 

‘In relation to the voyeurism offences you have taken some responsibility, but again it is to a limited extent, in my judgment.’

The judge also said that ‘it seems to me you are assessed as posing a risk to females with whom you have social contact, a high risk of serious harm’. 

‘You are also assessed as a high risk of serious harm to children. Those are the assessments made by the probation officer who has interviewed you.’ 

The judge said: ‘People send their children to school and have a right to believe that they will be safe with their teachers and that no harm will come to them. 

‘I am afraid your actions have disgraced your profession and your actions…are quite appalling.’

Lees is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England. 

He will not be able to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach but has the right to appeal to the High Court within 28 days from the date he is given notice of this order.