Sex offender caretaker Charles Wixcey was described as “every parent’s worst nightmare” while being jailed for five years.

Sex offender caretaker Charles Wixcey was described as “every parent’s worst nightmare” by a judge who jailed him for five years today (August 5).

The 67-year-old hid a camera in school toilets and touched a pupil inappropriately while giving first aid.

His sickening crimes included filming children while they got changed at the Cambridgeshire school, where he had worked for 11 years.

Judge Stuart Bridge, who sentenced Wixcey at Cambridge Crown Court said his crimes had taken “a significant degree of planning”.

“You had taken steps to groom the parents and children,” Judge Bridge said.

“The most serious being when you secretly placed a camera inside a toilet cubicle to take various images of children.

“You abused your position of trust, because as one parent said ‘you were the last person they ever thought would do something like this’.

“It is clear you are every parent’s worst nightmare.”

Police seized a camera and two laptops from Wixcey’s house in Hardwick Road, Eynesbury – one which contained 849 indecent images of children.

Further photos, taken from videos Wixcey had secretly recorded while pupils got changed in classrooms, were also found on the laptop.

Prosecuting Joanne Eley said: “When interviewed by police about certain images on his laptop Wixcey said he was looking to download adult porn from the internet.

“He said he was disgusted when he found pictures of children but ‘enjoyed looking at them’ and it ‘became a bit of a bad habit’.

“He admitted to setting up the camera because he knew when certain events were on at the school which would mean children would need to change their clothes.”

The court heard how he had access to the entire school premises where he would open and close the site and helped out with reading classes and an after-school club.

He was also a first aider and lunch supervisor.

As part of victim statements read out in court, parents spoke of their “betrayal and disgust”.

One said: “I am disgusted and angry.

“I would never have thought in a million years that he would do something like this.”

Another parent said: “It was to our horror that we discovered our children were pictured in one of the classrooms.

“We broke down in tears and felt completely numb.

“He was someone that our children always said hello to and they were sad when he left the school so soon.”

Defending, Mr Williams, said Wixcey was “deeply ashamed of himself and accepts his behaviour”.

“He knows that he has let many people down and that this was a significant abuse of trust,” he added.

Wixcey had no previous convictions.

Anyone who has concerns about child abuse should contact police on 101 (or report online at www.cambs.police.uk/report), children’s social care or the NSPCC. If a child is in immediate danger always call 999.