Upskirting teenager told to complete restorative programme

Timothy Boomer, 18, was found guilty of committing five acts of outraging public decency in February

A teenager who took upskirt images of two female teachers at a Fermanagh school has been ordered to complete a restorative programme to understand the impact it had on his victims.

Timothy Boomer, 18, was found guilty of committing five acts of outraging public decency in February.

He took pictures of two teachers at Enniskillen Royal Grammar School in 2015 and 2016, when he was 14 and 15.

Magistrates rejected the argument it was a "childish prank".

Boomer, who is no longer a pupil at the school, appeared at Enniskillen Youth Court on Tuesday for a sentencing hearing.

He was given a 20-hour Attendance Centre Order to work with the Youth Justice Agency on victimisation.

The judge said it would help him understand the "serious and significant impact" the offences had on his victims.

He added there were "no winners or losers in the eyes of the court" and he said he hoped everyone involved in this case could move on.

'Gross intrusion'

Boomer took five images, including videos, up the skirts of two teachers at Portora Royal School, which became Enniskillen Royal Grammar School in September 2016.

The images were discovered on a memory stick in an ICT room at the school.

Defence barrister Frank O'Donoghue said his client had never denied committing the acts and fully accepted their offensive nature and his moral wrongdoing.

He said the two victims had been very badly treated by this "gross intrusion into their privacy".

There is currently no offence of upskirting in criminal law in Northern Ireland

Mr O'Donoghue added that the case had been purely a legal issue and Boomer had accepted the judgement.

He said the defendant had "shown a lot of maturity deciding against an appeal and moving on with his life", adding that the case had attracted "notoriety and interest" which he said was "somewhat unique".

The fact the images were taken by the pupil were not in dispute, but the case centred on legal definitions of the offence.

There is currently no offence of upskirting in criminal law in Northern Ireland.

But making upskirting a criminal offence is one of the proposals in a review of laws around child sexual exploitation.

The Department of Justice has launched a consultation on potential changes to legislation in Northern Ireland.

Upskirting has recently become a criminal offence in England and Wales.

In a statement following February's verdict, Boomer said he recognised the "devastating impact" on his teachers, parents and family.

"My regrets will be with me for the rest of my life," he added.