Officers ‘used helicopter to spy on nude sunbathing and sex romps’
POLICE officers who allegedly filmed people having sex and sunbathing naked using a camera in their force helicopter have appeared in court.
The group of five serving and retired officers from South Yorkshire Police allegedly spied on unsuspecting members of the public using video devices including a thermal imaging camera.
In one instance it is claimed a former Page 3 model was filmed as she sunbathed naked in her back garden.
The officers also face allegations that couples involved in “dogging” – having sex in public places with strangers – were also captured on film.
Yesterday Mathew Loosemore, 44, Matthew Lucas, 41, Adrian Pogmore, 50, Malcolm Reeves, 63, and Lee Walls, 46, appeared at Sheffield magistrates’ court.
They are accused of a total of 10 charges involving spying on and filming people while they were naked or performing sex acts.
The offences are said to have taken place across South Yorkshire between 2007 and 2012.
The court was told the charges are so serious that they can only be dealt with at Sheffield Crown Court and the case was sent there for a preliminary hearing next month. None of the defendants spoke except to confirm their names, ages and addresses during a brief hearing.
Legal counsel confirmed that all of the accused would be pleading not guilty to the alleged offences.
Loosemore, of Doncaster, faces one charge of wilful misconduct in a public office. Lucas, of Sheffield, denies three counts of wilful misconduct. Former officer Pogmore, of Rotherham, faces four counts of misconduct.
Reeves, of Knaresborough, is accused of two charges of watching and filming naked people without their consent.
Wallis, of Sheffield, faces one charge relating to watching and filming a naked woman without her knowledge or consent.