BECKENHAM: Pervert who filmed changing room girls is sentenced (From Streatham Guardian)

BECKENHAM: Pervert who filmed changing room girls is sentenced

A PERVERT swimming teacher has been given a three-year community supervision order after using a spy camera to record video of young girls.

Christopher Newcombe pictured outside court

Christopher Newcombe, 54, pleaded guilty to making a record of a person doing a private act after being discovered filming in girls’ swimming pool changing rooms in Beckenham.

Newcombe used a camera-pen which he hid in a bag and planted in the changing rooms.

He was arrested at his former home in Croydon on July 24 and admitted making three separate films of young girls changing.

Newcombe, who is currently on benefits and suffers from back problems, was allowed to sit while the judge passed sentence.

Judge John Tanzer said: “You have had a difficult upbringing. People who were themselves abused as youths turn into predators themselves although in your case your offending is at the very lower end of the scale of offences.

“You invaded the privacy that other people were entitled to.”

Newcombe was given the lowest sentence possible for the offence after the police and prosecution failed to bring the footage for the judge to view.

The judge said: “It is right that in the absence of the footage, I take a view which is in your favour and again, treat the material in the lowest possible category.

“I suspect the reason it is not here is the quality and detail is very low.”

Newcombe was given a three-year supervision order and told he must sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years. He was also ordered to join a community sex offenders’ programme.

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