WARNING: Graphic content
A man has come up with an extraordinary excuse after being sprung using a spy camera to take hundreds of explicit recordings of his teenage stepdaughters and other women as they showered.
“If they didn’t know about it, they couldn’t have been harmed by it,” a court heard the Brisbane man said.
The sinister extent of the man’s behaviour, which persisted for at least six years, was uncovered when police discovered a trove of child exploitation material stored on his computers in 2019.
One of the files seized depicted an adult performing a disgusting act on a toddler.
Family members of the victims crowded Brisbane District Court as the man – who cannot be named for legal reasons – faced sentencing on Wednesday.
One stormed out in tears as the facts were read out.
The man had earlier pleaded guilty to more than 70 charges including indecent treatment of children under 16, recordings in breach of privacy and possessing child exploitation material.
The court was told the man was living with his then-wife and his stepdaughters when the offending took place.
Crown prosecutor Steve Dickson said the offending came to light when police discovered the man was making child pornography material available.
“Police were able to download a video from the defendant; it showed a pre-pubescent girl in a shower drying herself before moving the camera closer to her genitalia,” Mr Dickson said.
Thousands more images depicting child exploitation material were discovered on his computer when a search warrant was executed in July 2019.
Some depicted penetrative acts on pre-pubescent children.
Mr Dickson said the man had planted a spy camera in the family bathroom and taken multiple photos of his stepdaughters between 2012 and 2018.
Some included explicit images of a cousin during a sleepover.
As police continued to search his computer they found more images of both children and 16-year-olds taken during the six year period, Mr Dickson said.
“Ultimately the offending is the same for each (of the victims), there is a secret camera hidden in the bathroom at that address and has captured various recordings, on various dates, of various complainants,” Mr Dickson said.
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In victim impact statements the stepchildren revealed thexjmtzywy had suffered a significant breach of trust and now feel “uncomfortable in showers and with their own bodies”.
During defence submissions, the court was told the man had previously justified his behaviour by saying: “If they didn’t know about it, they couldn’t have been harmed by it.”
But defence barrister Chris Wilson said this was no longer the case and his client was remorseful and had gained insight into the offending.
“He was open and honest about the purpose of it, it was for sexual gratification,” Mr Wilson said.
The court was told the man had been subjected to “protracted sexual abuse” in his youth by a family member.
Justice Vicki Loury adjourned the sentencing to Thursday, remanding the man in custody.
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