Teacher Permanently Barred After Giving Student a Hidden-Camera Pen

A science teacher in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, has been permanently barred from the teaching profession after giving a student a pen fitted with a hidden camera and instructing the child to change clothes before using it, according to reporting by Boing Boing and the Stratford-upon-Avon Herald. The teacher, identified as Matthew Udall, reportedly told the student to use the pen while writing in a journal. He also encouraged the child to change clothes and complete the writing alone. The camera was switched on and recording during the incident, according to remarks cited in the professional-conduct ruling. The student noticed the camera lens on the pen and reported it to another teacher. Authorities were then called, the ruling said. Udall was arrested and dismissed from his job. He later pleaded guilty to sex offenses against a girl under 13. The Stratford-upon-Avon Herald reported that Udall was sentenced to 31 months in prison the previous year and placed on the sex offender registry. The professional panel imposed the teaching ban with immediate effect. It said it could not determine with any degree of certainty that there was a low risk of Udall repeating his actions. The panel also considered the sentencing judge’s remarks, which indicated that the incident had been planned. According to the account of those remarks, Udall directed the student to get changed completely, shut the room, ask the child’s mother not to disturb them for 10 minutes, and place the written material in a bag to bring back the following day. The source material does not state how long the recording lasted or what it captured beyond the camera being activated.