Former supply teacher admits taking upskirt photos of pupils

A former supply teacher has admitted taking more than 100 upskirt photos of pupils.

Abusali Rahman, 36, who worked at schools across the north-west of England, admitted 21 offences at Bolton Crown Court.

Appearing via videolink from HMP Altcourse, he pleaded guilty to 12 counts of taking indecent photographs of children by upskirting, four counts of publishing an obscene article, three counts of making indecent photographs of children, one count of voyeurism and one count of distributing an indecent photograph of a child.

Rahman will be sentenced on 1 September.

Emma Kehoe, defending, said: "Mr Rahman knows this is a prison sentence but he was going through a mental health crisis at the time."

She asked for a psychiatric report ahead of sentence.

Recorder Geoffrey Lowe said: "This is a complex case."

Greater Manchester Police said Rahman was arrested in June 2025 after a parent raised concerns when an image of their child in school uniform was circulated on social media.

Speaking outside court, Det Sgt Simon France said the guilty pleas were the result of a "painstaking, thorough investigation".

He said: "We first received reports of Abusali Rahman's suspected offending in March 2025 and he was arrested in June that year.

"The offences are alleged to have taken place in several secondary schools across the North West between December 2023 and 2025.

"The officers and staff working on this investigation, including our victim identification team, have put everything into building a case against Rahman and bringing the charges against him.

"This included our digital investigation unit which has analysed around 1,000 images over the past year."

He said police had been in contact with all the schools where Rahman worked since a qualified as a teacher in 2023.

Alex Mann, from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: "This was a horrifying case involving an abuse of trust that affected multiple young victims.

"Rahman fell well below the standards expected of his role – first by sharing sexualised deepfake images online, before escalating to upskirting and voyeurism offences.

"Following a comprehensive GMP investigation, prosecutors were able to piece together a compelling case that left the defendant with little choice but admit his crimes.

"The guilty pleas entered today means he will face the consequences of his appalling actions, without victims having to prolong their suffering by reliving their experiences at trial."

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