Teen’s shock over voyeur step-dad’s secret recordings
SHE looked up to him like a dad and had known him since she was four-yearsold. But a young woman was horrified to find out that her step-father was actually a pervert who had been filming her in secret.
Thomas Craig Lewis was caught red handed videoing Lauren Brightwood as she took a bath in her own home on the eve of her 18th birthday.
The 35-year-old had placed a camera above the bathroom door in the family home – and then came up with ridiculous excuses when he was finally sussed out. First he claimed he thought Lauren was crying and then changed his story to claim he was “curious” about how she looked as an adult.
But on Tuesday, Northampton Crown Court heard that Lewis – known to pals as Craig – had actually made between five to 10 secret video recordings.
In a powerful victim impact statement that was read aloud to the court, Lauren detailed the horror and utter betrayal she felt by her depraved step-dad.
She said: “I went into a state of shock, I didn’t really know how to process it. This is not something that people normally have to deal with and I didn’t know what to do.
“I am anxious when entering bathrooms as I don’t want something to happen to me again. I don’t think this is fair.
“Craig is not my biological dad but I treated him like once since age four.”
On the night in question – November 27, 2018 – Lauren noticed what appeared to be a phone through a window above the bathroom door.
The phone quickly disappeared before appearing again, remaining in place for around 10 seconds before footsteps were heard walking away.
Prosecuting counsel Ben Gow said the victim
immediately text her mother Michelle from the bathroom to avoid alerting Lewis. She then confronted her partner of 13 years about what was going on – and he admitted he had made recordings of Lauren “a couple of times” in the house and in the family’s previous home in Wales.
The police were called and investigations took place. Lewis later handed himself into a police station around a year later in November 2019 to confess what he’d done.
He told officers he had made between five and 10 video recordings of the teenager between the ages of 14 and 17 years old.
Lauren, who bravely waived her right to anonymity, said she now suffers from anxiety and depression as well as a suspected eating disorder as a result of what happened.
She added: “I began drinking more than I should have. I just wanted to get out of the house, I would go anywhere just to get away.”
She also described the toll of the recordings on her mother – and the court heard the pair suffered financially after Lewis was forced to leave their home and then lost his job.
Addressing the judge, the Crown’s cousel Mr Gow said Michelle “went into complete shock”.
He added: “She has seen her daughter go from child to adult overnight.
All she wanted for her was security but the defendant has taken that away from her.”
David Singh, defending, said his client had no previous convictions, had sought professional help for his actions and had pleaded guilty to two counts of voyeurism.
However, Judge Rebecca Crane said it was clear from a pre-sentence report that the defendant had not accepted the reasons behind his actions.
She said: “I do not consider you are yet being honest to yourself and everyone else.”
In total, Lewis, of Capel Road, Llanelli, was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.
He was also ordered to undertake 30 days of rehabilitation activity requirement and to complete 100 hours of unpaid work.
Despite a request to release Lewis’ custody photograph, Northampshire Police refused. The force said it did not issue custody photos for defendants who were handed immediate custodial sentences less than 12 months.
Speaking about the sentencing, Lauren said: “The sentence wasn’t what I wanted but we have to go with it. It’s a shame but I’m just glad it’s over with.”
However, she added that she wanted people to be aware of Lewis’ actions and the sentence he received.