EVERY PARENT’S FEAR
PERVERT CAUGHT TRYING TO FILM BOY, TWO, IN CITY SHOPPING CENTRE’S TOILET
A RAILWAY worker who tried to film a child in toilets at a busy shopping centre was found to have more than 2,000 indecent images.
Scott Light asked police officers not to tell his work about the offences when he was arrested at St David’s in Cardiff after being detained by members of the public.
When he was asked during his police interview if he was a paedophile, he replied: “I’ve got to be really, haven’t I? With images like that.”
Newport Crown Court heard the incident occurred at toilets in the St David’s shopping centre at about 4.30pm on Wednesday, July 26.
Jason Howells, prosecuting, said a father and his two-year-old son were using the facilities when the dad saw a phone being placed under the cubicle divider.
Prosecutors said he was “angry and appalled” and knocked the phone out of the way, shouting for someone to help him detain the defendant until police arrived.
Light was arrested on suspicion of voyeurism and told the custody officer: “Please don’t tell my work. This is just the beginning of everything.”
His phone was seized and found to contain 1,896 indecent images, including 194 of the most serious Category A, 457 at Category B and 1,245 at Category C.
The court heard the images showed boys aged between seven and 13 and police found evidence he had been searching for child abuse images.
Light was interviewed the next day and admitted possessing the images but denied trying to film a boy in the toilets.
Questioned about whether he received any sexual gratification from the images, he replied: “I like to watch them.”
Prosecutors said Light was on bail for earlier offences at the time.
Mr Howells said the defendant left his rucksack at a friend’s house in May after going out drinking.
The friend’s partner found it a few days later and tried to work out who it belonged to.
Prosecutors said she found a memory card inside and put it in her phone, revealing photographs of the defendant and also images of children being abused.
The couple contacted Light, who denied any knowledge, then reported the matter to the police.
He was arrested on May 15 and the memory card was found to contain 689 indecent images – 206 Category A, 200 Category B and 283 Category C.
The charges related to the period between July 2016 and May 2017 and involved children ranging in age from a baby to a 12-year-old.
Prosecutors said the defendant had one previous conviction for travelling on a train without paying the fare.
He was judged by the Probation Service to present a medium risk of harm to the public.
Light, 28, who does not have a fixed address, admitted attempted voyeurism and six counts of possessing indecent images of children.
Jeffrey Jones, defending, said his client had been “jolted into reality” by finding himself in custody.
He told the court Light used to work on trains and had a good work ethic but lost his job.
Mr Jones described him as an “isolated” person who “shunned society” but said having contact with people in prison had given him motivation to change.
The court heard he was living in a bedsit that was cramped due to his compulsive hoarding.
A pre-sentence report concluded he was no longer in denial and accepted his offending was for sexual gratification.
Recorder Richard Booth QC told the defendant: “This is a very concerning pattern of offending.”
Light was jailed for 18 months and a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order was made.