HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A former Bloomingdale High School teacher was sentenced to 15 years in prison Monday after being caught secretly recording students as they changed in his classroom in 2018.
Fashion design teacher Mark Ackett, 52, was arrested on Sept. 11, 2018, after a student found a hidden cell phone recording her changing in a dressing room in class.
At the time, investigators said they uncovered two cell phones, three digital cameras and multiple memory devices in Ackett's classroom at the Valrico school. Documents released after Ackett's arrest said the teacher admitted he had been secretly taping students since 2017.
Ackett pleaded guilty to 324 counts of video voyeurism and could have faced life in prison, but the judge in the case said Monday the former teacher didn't deserve the maximum sentence.
After his prison sentence, Ackett will have to serve 15 years of sex offender probation.
Ackett had worked for the Hillsborough County School District for 27 years at the time of his arrest.
This is a developing story and this story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Breaking News: The judge has sentenced former Bloomingdale High teacher Mark Ackett, 52, to 15 years in prison. The convicted video voyeur was facing up to life in prison for secretly recording 125 victims as they undress in his classroom. @BN9 pic.twitter.com/Xw4oYzB0sw
— Josh Rojas (@JoshRojasBN9) May 10, 2021