Man hacked into security cameras to spy on people in their homes

A LONER hacked into people’s home security systems and recorded them having sex.

Steven Hankers, pictured right, stored more than 4,000 video clips he’d made by accessing people’s private CCTV systems. His victims, who were from all around the world, knew nothing of what he was doing.

The pervert filmed couples in their bedrooms and children undressing. When he was arrested, he had 16 active cameras hooked up to his computer, spying on people across Europe and in the USA.

Hankers, 32, also used his technological expertise to contact children through web cams, who he persuaded to carry out sex acts by lying to them about his age.

Police arrested him when they were investigating allegations of inciting children to commit sex acts, and found his cache of videos.

At Mold Crown Court yesterday, prosecutor Simon Rogers said Hankers was able to get access to cameras people had installed to make them feel safer in their own homes and to enhance security while they were away, he said.

The incitement charges arose from recordings he had made via his web cam of children involved in various sex acts at his instruction, as part of a game where he awarded them points for various activities.

Hankers’ barrister Andrew Green told the court: “It is an object lesson how those who obsessively use the internet can become detached from the real world.”

Hankers, of Melyd Avenue in Wrexham, admitted possessing 122 category A movies – the most serious kind – of children, 335 category B movies and 41 category C movies, downloading category A, B and C movies, five charges of inciting girls to engage in sexual acts and two charges of voyeurism – secretly recording others doing private acts without their knowledge over their personal cameras.

Hankers was jailed for six years and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life