The woman who found the video camera belonging to a man convicted of covertly filming women and children said she was left "sick to her stomach" after seeing what was on it.

Richard John Snook, 42, pleaded guilty in May to four charges of making an intimate visual recording, which carries a penalty of three years' imprisonment.

He was yesterday sentenced to four months' home detention.

The Napier District Court heard that Snook bought a video camera from a pawnbroker in Napier before going to Marine Parade on January 31, where he began to secretly film a young girl aged about 10.

The girl was with a slightly younger boy and both were getting changed into clothes next to Tom Parker fountain.

Snook followed the girl, who was naked from the waist down, as she moved around and then zoomed in on her.

Three further videos were found on the camera which showed Snook setting up the camera, facing upwards, inside a backpack.

He then proceeded to walk in and out of shops in Emerson St, Napier, and manoeuvre the backpack to film up women's skirts and dresses.

In February Snook left the bag, with the camera inside it, at an associate's house.

The associate returned the bag to Sideline Bar in Onekawa, where they had been drinking together, and left it with Kelly Sherriff who was working behind the bar.

Ms Sherriff said she had a look through the bag to see if she could find anything to identify its owner and decided to check the camera.

"I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I took it next door for a colleague to look at and he just about turned purple and then took it straight to the police."

Ms Sherriff said she was traumatised after the find and couldn't sleep for the next few days.

"Every time I closed my eyes I saw what was on that camera. I was prescribed sleeping pills in the end."

When spoken to by police Snook admitted on five or six occasions he had walked up next to women to film them and tried to get as close as he could.

During sentencing yesterday Judge Geoff Rea said the filming of the young girl and the women was done without their knowledge or consent and was done for sexual reasons.

Judge Rea took into account Snook's previous offending but said there was nothing similar in his history. He said a prison sentence was a "very close run thing".

He said the filming of the young girl meant Snook was not eligible for community detention and sentenced him to four months' home detention.

Snook will complete his home detention at his Hastings address and is required to attend alcohol counselling and be assessed by a psychologist.