A guesthouse owner who used a spy camera alarm clock to secretly record women undressing has avoided a jail sentence.
Liam Elliott of Union Street, Larkhall in Lanarkshire, previously pled guilty to three charges.
They included voyeurism and two sex offences relating to his unauthorised possession of a sex video, between May 1 2019 and September 30 2020.
Inverness Sheriff Court was told that police raided a property in Keith after receiving intelligence that the occupier had indecent images of children.
But although none were found, officers recovered videos of three different women dressing and undressing in a room at the Regent Street premises.
They also found a video of a couple engaged in sexual activity that had been consensually filmed, but Elliott had somehow obtained it without their knowledge or consent.
Spy camera alarm clock revealed stored videos
Fiscal depute Robert Weir said that two of Elliott’s phones had been seized and a bedside alarm clock with a camera hidden inside it was also recovered.
The spy camera alarm clock revealed stored videos of the three women dressing and undressing before they got in and out of bed. A sex video was also retrieved.
Mr Weir said that there were indications that it had been shared on the internet by the husband and wife, who knew Elliott.
But Mr Weir said it was not known how Elliott had come into possession of it and he did not have the couple’s permission to have it.
“They only learned about it when police came to interview them,” Mr Weir added.
270 hours of unpaid community work
Defence advocate James Robertson told the court his client had immediately joined a 12-week course for sex offenders after being charged by police.
Mr Robertson suggested that his client would be suitable for a community-based disposal.
Sheriff Ian Cruickshank agreed and ordered Elliott to carry out 270 hours of unpaid community work.
He must also remain under two years of social work supervision and has been placed on the sex offenders register for the same period.
Elliott also has to attend a rehabilitation programme for sex offenders called “Moving Forward: Making Changes”.
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