Shock, anger after peeping Tom strikes
A WOMAN says she felt “violated and disgusted” after catching a peeping Tom filming her inside a busy public toilet on the Gold Coast.
The 23-year-old Brisbane woman, known only as “Jane”, caught the pervert red-handed after visiting the unisex public toilets at Mowbray Park, Burleigh Heads about 1.30pm Tuesday.
In the footage, a person can be seen pointing a phone under a cubicle before suddenly pulling away.
“It wasn’t until I was leaving the toilets that I noticed a phone in the corner,” she said.
“I was in total shock and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I said to my friend, ‘I think someone was filming me.’
“I didn’t want to be the girl who cries wolf and be wrong. So I went back in and filmed to prove I wasn’t being paranoid.”
Jane then waited outside the rest rooms with her friend and phoned police to report the pervert.
However, as they waited for police to arrive, the man left the scene and ran down a nearby street.
Jane and her friend followed but eventually lost sight of him. He is still wanted by police.
The incident comes just days after another man was allegedly caught filming women in a shopping centre changing room.
“I feel just completely violated and disgusted but also very scared,” she told the Bulletin.
“My friend and I were in shock and, at first, we didn’t know what to do.
“But our shock turned into anger and that’s why I decided to go back and film.”
After handing over the footage to the police, Jane decided to share her encounter on social media to help warn others.
“Initially I was embarrassed and didn’t want to publicise what happened,” she said.
“But after talking with my friends they said I should do something about it.
“I think it will make me more wary. It goes to show this is not a one-off incident. It is happening. I was lucky that I caught him.”
The man is described as caucasian, about six feet tall, aged in his 30s with short brown hair. He was last seen on First Avenue, Burleigh Heads wearing a fluoro orange hi-vis T-shirt, dirty jeans and brown boots.
Police are appealing for any witnesses to contact Crime Stoppers on 131 444.