A former Kirkcaldy secondary school teacher has been placed on the sex offenders register after sending explicit videos of himself to former pupils.
Gilles Brown was found guilty of sending lewd videos to three teenage women who he had previously taught at a school in the Fife town.
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard all three began following him on social media once they had left school.
Brown sent each sordid videos, varying from his collection of sex toys to clips of him performing sex acts.
The 32-year-old had left his employment with Fife Council when the allegations came to light.
None of Brown’s victims or the school he taught at can be identified for legal reasons.
Sex toy videos
Brown was found guilty of acting in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause fear or alarm by sending a video containing sex toys to a girl, aged 16, on an occasion in 2019.
Sheriff Neil Kinnear said: “She knew you on social media.
“You taught her, she liked you, she thought you were a good teacher so she started following you on social media.
“She then found that you had sent a video in which a drawer or box had sex toys in it.
“There had been no conversation about sex toys before. She didn’t like that.
“I don’t think this can be categorised as threatening behaviour but it can be categorised as abusive.
“I suspect it wasn’t intended to cause fear or alarm but I do consider it falls within the category of reckless.”
Second target
Between August 2019 and May 2024 Brown sent sexual written and verbal communications to a second female from when she was aged 16 until she was 21.
He made sexually explicit and inappropriate remarks towards her, repeatedly sent her videos and photographs of him masturbating, repeatedly sent her photographs of himself and images of sex toys.
Sheriff Kinnear said: “The complainer… did accept there were points in her quite lengthy conversation where she did respond to some of your sexual communications with sexual communications of her own.
“She also gave evidence that there were quite a number of conversations where you entered sexual communications which she was not comfortable with – in particular, in relation to the images of you masturbating that you sent.
“She was quite adamant that that was most certainly not welcome.”
Brown responded to photos the woman posted, including innocent snaps of her brushing her teeth, with sexualised responses.
Prosecutor Lauren Pennycook said: “They were not risqué in nature. Mr Brown has taken it upon himself to reply in a sexual manner.”
The sheriff told him that although she had sent some intimate replies, he did not have “carte blanche.”
‘Dirty old man’
Between June 2021 and March 2024, he sent sexual written and verbal communications to a third victim, aged 18, by directing inappropriate remarks towards her, repeatedly sending her videos of him masturbating and a video of sex toys.
Ms Pennycook said: “I’m not sure where Mr Brown would get any idea they were consenting to any sort of sexual communications.”
When the pupil came to get her leavers’ form signed at school, he asked her if she had pants on under her skort.
He claimed this was asked discreetly to spare the girl any embarrassment.
The sheriff said: “She gave evidence that you sent sexual messages and also videos.
“It’s certainly correct that she started to follow you (on social media) – that’s a common theme.
“They liked you, you have been very helpful to them.
“What started out as just following on social media then started to turn to sexual messages.
“She described how there was an escalation. She was surprised at the way the conversation travelled.
“You had complimented her initially – it then moved onto appearance comments.
“When you made a comment, she said ‘are you allowed to say that?’
“She was trying to nip it in the bud, as she said in her own words.
“You were no longer a nice teacher, you were a dirty old man, as she put it.
“She then told us about the videos you sent her.
“You’d asked if she was a virgin, had shaved or liked rough sex.
“As the questions became more sexual, she became more blunt.
“You sent her a picture of a drawer or box with sex toys in it.
“She was even more uncomfortable with that. She was embarrassed.”
The sheriff added: “I’m persuaded there was no reasonable belief (of consent).”
Convicted
Brown’s solicitor Martin McGuire said: “As is common to all social media exchanges… he doesn’t have the benefit of seeing facial reactions or immediate verbal communication.”
Sheriff Kinnear placed Brown, of Inchgarvie Park in South Queensferry, on the sex offenders register and deferred sentencing until April.
He said: “I would categorise this as very poor judgement on your part rather than some others who deliberately set out, knowing what they’re doing.”
Child protection is council’s ‘main focus’
Parents at the school have been contacted by Fife Council about the conviction.
Donald Macleod, Fife Council’s executive director of education, said: “We take the safety and wellbeing of all our children and young people extremely seriously.
“Their protection is always our main focus.
“We have robust processes in place in our schools to keep all children and young people safe.
“We encourage children and young people to share any information about concerns they have, knowing they will be listened to and supported as they do so.
“We regularly review and update our child protection processes.
“As a responsible employer Fife Council cannot discuss individual circumstances of current or former staff members.
“However, we always take swift action against inappropriate or criminal behaviour.”
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