Peeping Tom took snaps of women from outside homes
A “Peeping Tom” who violated women by taking pictures of them naked while in the safety of their own homes has walked free from court.
Matthew Madden’s disturbing exploits were uncovered during a police investigating into revenge porn allegations.
Three women were photographed by the 31-year-old in various states of undress - one showed a woman semi-naked, tying her hair up in her bedroom; another was naked having just got out of the shower and another was standing at her kitchen window.
Teesside Crown Court heard how Madden, of Darlington, loitered outside waiting for an opportunity to take pictures of women through the windows of their homes for his only sexual gratification.
The pervert admitted three charges of voyeurism between April 2019 and July 2021; and the disclosure of private sexual photos with intent to cause distress between September 2017 and March 2018, at an earlier hearing.
One woman, who read her statement in court, said: “Seeing the pictures was another shock. I couldn’t really believe what I was seeing. Pictures of me going about my life, my private business that you would never ever imagine whilst doing so that there was someone watching you. It was very disturbing.”
She added: “I have often come home and felt like someone was in the house. Hearing noises that were probably in my head, being scared, walking in every room, checking in cupboards and under the bed.”
At a previous hearing, the court heard how Madden claimed, in an interview with probation services, that he had taken the pictures accidentally. However this was not accepted by the judge and Madden went on to admit to a psychiatrist that he was “sexually aroused” by taking the photographs.
Another of his victim’s says her mental health has declined since finding out about the photographs and she has felt she needed to move house.
In a victim personal statement, she told the court: “Despite moving I still now put towels on windows whilst bathing, I avoid bathing or showering through the day.
“I don’t put lights on at night time as I feel watched. I get dressed in the dark on a night time with my curtains being closed most of the time. I feel like I’m being watched as soon as I leave the house.”
The ‘disturbing’ voyeurism offences were discovered during a police investigation into a revenge porn allegation. Madden also admitted posting private photographs of a woman online.
The court heard that someone who knew the victim came across the naked photos on the website
Reddit and sent a message asking if they belonged to her. She reported it to the police and was able to make an account to report the photographs to have them removed.
In a victim impact statement, she said: “I feel violated, I haven’t been able to sleep properly. I have been having nightmares and waking up crying.
“I also feel a sense of embarrassment and isolation as I don’t want to talk about has happened. I’m also embarrassed that people may still have access to the photos even though they have been removed.”
Madden, of Fairfield Street, was arrested on July 26, last year, and an examination of his devices uncovered the pictures of the three other victims taken from outside their homes into their bathrooms, bedrooms and living rooms.
Gary Wood, defending, said: “Mr Madden did accept to the psychiatrist that he was sexually aroused by those images and that is something that some defendants aren’t prepared to accept under these types of reports. I would respectively submit that is the first step in acceptance and it does show an element of acknowledgement, remorse and regret. His problems seem to have started with depression in 2012, he’s been to counselling on a couple of occasions, once just before he was arrested. The psychiatrist assessed him as having low mood.”
The court also heard that Madden had the support of his family and money had been put aside to pay compensation cost to victims, if the judge chose to impose a financial punishment.
Sentencing Madden, Judge Jonathan Carroll said: “Each of them has given a victim personal statement and what it makes clear in each of those statements is the emotional and psychological harm at the core of what you have done. As [one claimant] said today, she should feel perfectly safe going about ordinary and everyday private matters inside her own home.
“Everyone is entitled to that degree of privacy and dignity and you took that from them. You engaged over a period of time in completely unwanted sexual behaviour. It may have been at arm’s length... but that does not mean it is harm free. On the contrary, the profound sense of invasion and almost a personal attack felt by for all of these ladies is clear to see and understand in their victim personal statements.”
Madden was handed an eightmonth prison sentence suspended for two years, he must also carry out 180 hours of unpaid work and was ordered to pay £250 compensation for each of the four victims. He is also now subject to a sexual harm prevention order, which includes clauses not the be within 200m of the claimants’ homes, for the next 10 years.
Seeing the pictures was another shock. I couldn’t really believe what I was seeing.
VICTIM