An Aberdeen paedophile appeared back in court after he set up a secret camera to record a woman getting changed in Poundworld.
Darren Sleigh placed a camera within the kitchen area of the Links Road discount store in Aberdeen and secretly recorded the woman changing clothes.
The 40-year-old’s voyeuristic recording went undiscovered for years until he had his devices seized and analysed by police investigating allegations of indecent images.
They also found the Poundworld video on one of his devices showing the woman changing t-shirts in the kitchen area of the Beach Boulevard Retail Park store. It was recorded in the last 15 years.
Sleigh has now admitted a charge of voyeurism.
Fiscal depute Sean Ambrose told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that police traced the woman and showed her stills of the video.
“The video showed a female in a room taking off a t-shirt and replacing it with another one,” he said. “She was in the room alone and was unaware that she was being filmed.
“Enquiries were thereafter carried out by police whereby the complainer was identified as being the female in the video.
“She was shown a still of the video and she confirmed it was her in the photo. She explained she was getting changed in the kitchen area of the locus which she would normally do.
“But she was unaware she was being filmed nor did she give any permission for someone to do so.”
Sleigh was cautioned and interviewed and told officers he had set up the camera but it was “never his intention to record anyone”.
‘He is incredibly remorseful’
Defence agent Debbie Ginniver added that her client “hadn’t initially realised that the video had recorded the woman”.
“This complaint was raised after officers executed a search warrant in relation to a solemn matter concerning indecent images,” she said.
“His position in relation to this matter is that he didn’t realise that the video had recorded the female.
“He is incredibly remorseful for his actions.”
The solicitor added that Sleigh had completed his 200 hours of unpaid work – handed to him upon sentencing for the 7,000 indecent images – and said he’d been engaging well sith his supervision order and the Moving Forward: Making Changes rehabilitation programme.
Sheriff William Summers told Sleigh it was a “disturbing and distressing offence”.
Ordered to do unpaid work
“You have pled guilty to this historic charge,” he added. “This was a disturbing offence and it was clearly distressing for the victim when she learned about it.
“But it predates things as far as the community payback order from the solemn matter and it’s clear you have made significant progress with that order and the Moving Forward: Making Changes programme.
“Against that backdrop I am satisfied that notwithstanding the seriousness of the offence, there’s an alternative to custody available.”
He handed Sleigh, of Montgomery Road, Aberdeen, a 12-month supervision order and 210 hours of unpaid work.
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