Ex-teacher faces 'up-skirt' charge

James Parke, who has since resigned from his role as media studies teacher at Brighton, Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College, cried throughout the committal hearing at Brighton Magistrates' Court.

The Crown alleges that he "committed acts of a lewd, obscene and disgusting nature and outraged public decency by engaging in the practice known as up-skirting, whereby he filmed under the skirts of females" between September 2 2006 and September 2 last year.

He also faces a second charge of voyeurism, where he is said to have "recorded female persons doing private acts with the intention that he himself, for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification, would look at the recorded images of persons doing acts knowing that they did not consent to these recordings".

Parke, 40, cried as he stood in the dock, wearing glasses, with a shaved head and dressed in a blue sweatshirt and green cargo trousers.

The defendant, of Sheffield Court, Kingscote Way, Brighton, spoke only to confirm his name and address during the hearing.

He was given bail to attend a plea and case management hearing at Lewes Crown Court in East Sussex on March 6.

Chris Thomson, principal of the college, said Parke had worked there for 12 years and resigned shortly after he was charged last September.

He said the sixth form college based in Hove, East Sussex, was keeping staff and students closely informed about the matter.