FOLKESTONE TEACHER ROSHAN RAI CAUGHT IN UPSKIRTING AND CHILD PORN SCANDAL
In August 2018, a disturbing case involving a trainee teacher from Folkestone, Roshan Rai, came to light as he appeared in court to face serious allegations related to the exploitation and abuse of minors.Rai, aged 27 and residing on Firs Lane, admitted to engaging in highly inappropriate and illegal activities that shocked the local community and raised concerns about safeguarding in educational environments.
Rai pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including outraging public decency by secretly capturing 'upskirt' images of schoolgirls.
These illicit photographs were taken covertly between January and August of two years prior, and the images were described in court as 'lewd, disgusting, and obscene.' The court heard that Rai's actions involved invasive photography targeting young female pupils, which caused significant distress and outrage among parents, students, and staff at the school where he was training.
In addition to the upskirting charges, Rai admitted to eight other serious offenses.
These included inciting a child to send him explicit images of her breasts, a disturbing act that further exemplifies his predatory behavior.
Moreover, he confessed to voyeurism involving the watching of a naked child aged between three and four years old at a swimming pool, with this incident occurring between April 2016 and March of the following year.
This particular revelation underscored the extent of his inappropriate conduct over several years.
At the time of his arrest, police also uncovered a vast collection of illegal media.
Investigators found thousands of images and movies depicting children in various stages of sexual exploitation, categorized into different levels of severity, including the most serious.
This discovery highlighted the depth of Rai's involvement in the possession of child abuse material, raising alarm about the potential distribution and access to such content.
Mark Cotter QC, representing the prosecution, informed Judge Heather Norton that following his arrest, Rai sought psychological help, claiming that his offending was influenced by cannabis use and that the incidents occurred under the influence of the drug.
Despite these mitigating factors, the judge emphasized the gravity of the crimes and the need for appropriate sentencing.
Rai was granted bail pending his sentencing hearing, although some of the offenses had been committed while he was working as a trainee teacher in the Folkestone area.
Judge Norton issued strict conditions for Rai’s bail, including a ban on private use of mobile phones or computers capable of internet access.
The judge warned Rai that he faced an 'inevitable jail sentence' due to the severity of his crimes.
During the hearing, Rai pleaded guilty to three charges of inciting a child under 13 to send him illegal images, one charge of causing a child to watch a sexual act, and other offenses related to public decency, voyeurism, and possession of illegal images.
He also admitted to taking 'upskirt' photographs of pupils near shops, although he denied three other similar charges, which the prosecution accepted as not guilty.
The court adjourned sentencing until late September, and Rai was ordered to register on the Sex Offender’s Register.
As part of his bail conditions, he was instructed to avoid any direct or indirect contact with children under the age of 16, except when working at his family’s restaurant in Folkestone.
The case has sparked widespread concern about safeguarding and the importance of vigilance in educational and community settings, emphasizing the need for strict oversight to prevent such heinous acts from occurring again.
