The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Man jailed for filming woman he had crush on
Court: 34-year-old fitted cameras in her home
A man has been jailed for more than a year after installing a secret camera in the changing room of an Aberdeen bar to spy on his “unrequited crush”.
John Cameron, 34, also fitted recording equipment in his victim’s home and gathered footage of her and two others between January 2015 and last April.
He collected a total of 17 videos, with 13 featuring the woman with whom he was “infatuated”.
Some of the footage involved the women in their underwear or naked, including while showering or using the toilet.
Cameron previously admitted filming the women without their consent and returned to Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday for sentencing.
His solicitor, Ross Taggart, said: “She was somebody he had known for a considerable amount of time and accepts he always had an unrequited crush on her.
“He is thoroughly ashamed of himself and he still doesn’t really know why he did it, other than he had this crush.”
Cameron’s voyeurism came to light when the woman confided in him she had found a camera hidden in her bedroom.
He then wrote a note admitting his feelings, which led police to identify him as the culprit.
Mr Taggart added that Cameron, a first-time offender, has since “lost his friends” and rarely socialises due to shame and embarrassment.
Sheriff Philip Mann told Cameron, of Craigton Road, a prison sentence was the only suitable option available to him.
He said: “I regard these offences as being very serious indeed.
“They involved a substantial breach of trust and the offences must have caused considerable anxiety to the complainers.
“It’s clear the victims have suffered probably serious psychological and emotional damage.”
Cameron was sentenced to 14 months in prison.
He was also placed on the sex offenders register and made subject to a fiveyear order which requires him to let police search the contents of any of his devices capable of taking photos, if requested to do so.
“I regard these offences as very serious indeed”