School caretaker jailed for spying on naked girls showering

Merthyr - A school caretaker has been sentenced to six months in jail after being found guilty of attempted voyeurism. He was caught spying through peep holes on naked girls showering.

A married father-of-two, devoted churchgoer and former scout master, Nigel French abused his position as a school caretaker to spy on children through a hole above the shower cubicle. He was caught red handed by assistant head-teacher John Davies when his legs were spotted sticking out from a pile of mats. Wales on Line reported French claimed that he was "skiving" from work when Davies caught him lying down on the job. However, when Davies and fellow teachers investigated the area they uncovered French's spy hole. French, who had worked at the Merthyr Tydfil secondary school for 21 years the Daily Mail reported, had often been seen hanging around the viewing gallery above the school swimming pool. He denied to police that he had been spying on the children, saying "I wasn’t spying on pupils in the pool because that would be wrong." He claimed that lifeguards and mother and toddler groups used the viewing gallery in which the holes were drilled. During his appearance at Merthyr Crown Court French was castigated by Judge Richard Twomlow who said "There were girls in the changing room and, although it is not clear whether you saw anybody, that was your intention." He went on to point out the serious breach of trust, saying 'No girl who went into that changing room will know whether they were spied on or not. You have demonstrated no remorse." In addition to a jail sentence of six months French will have to register as a sex offender for seven years, and is banned from ever working with children again.