Primary school teacher accused of filming more than 350 children

A teacher previously accused of secretly filming young pupils in the toilets at a Melbourne primary school has been hit with additional charges after police alleged he filmed more than 350 children without their knowledge.

Timothy Blamires appeared at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday via video link, as concerned school parents attended the hearing in person.

The 33-year-old was arrested at Kingswood Primary School at Dingley Village in April, after a cleaner allegedly uncovered a camera that had been hidden inside an air freshener on the wall of the boys’ toilets.

At the time, Blamires was charged with five offences, however documents released by the court on Friday show he is now facing a total of 16 charges.

Details of the latest charges show that between October 2025 and March 2026, the former teacher allegedly used a spy cam to “visually observe a private activity” of children without their knowledge, and that he sought to “intentionally produce” child abuse material of a total 357 children.

He is accused of using the device to film 282 children on three dates in October 2025, and filming a further 75 children in March.

The court was told on Friday that Blamires had been on remand since April. The defence made a plea offer, which prosecutors were considering.

The year 3 teacher was charged in April with using a carriage service to access illegal images found on a storage device at his Bentleigh home after his arrest, and knowingly possessing child abuse material.

The court previously heard that after being discovered in the toilets by a cleaner, the spy cam device was secured in the principal’s office and police were called.

It is alleged that Blamires entered the principal’s office before police arrived, took the device and hid it in another room, before returning to his classroom to keep teaching.

According to documents released at a bail hearing in May, a witness said Blamires was the only person to enter the office in the 10-minute window when the camera was placed in the office, and before it was moved.

The device was allegedly found concealed in the school’s sick bay later that evening. Police also found an empty air freshener container in Blamires’ backpack, which was found in his classroom, according to court documents.

The matter was adjourned until November and Blamires has been suspended by the Victorian Institute of Teaching.

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Caroline Schelle is an education reporter, and joined The Age in 2022. She previously covered courts at AAP.Connect via X or email.