Sneaky cameraman sentenced

A Napier man who purchased a mini digital camera to secretly film girls and women went to a store, a water park and a beauty pageant to gather footage, a court has heard.

Gregor Randal Alexander Mackenzie Booth, 44, appeared for sentencing at Napier District Court yesterday on one charge of making an intimate visual recording.

The court heard how Booth had purchased a mini digital spy camera in 2012. The camera was described as being small and discreet and allows the owner to take portable photo and video recordings.

Judge Geoff Rea said between October 21 and December 21 of last year Booth concealed the camera on his person and intentionally made a recording up the skirts of three women, thought to be between 15 and 20.

He said Booth went to several public places in Napier including a store and a beauty pageant. He then downloaded still images of the recordings onto the hard drive of his laptop. On 31st December, 2012 Booth was located at a water park, where he was again recording images of girls.

A search of Booth's vehicle located the laptop and a standard camera.

Further examination of the laptop identified approximately 605 still images, the majority of which were of teenage girls walking along streets in Napier and other public places.

Approximately 100 of the images were up the skirts of the three unidentified women.

Booth had previously pleaded guilty.

His lawyer, Jonathan Krebs, said his client was remorseful and ashamed of his actions.

He said his client acknowledged he clearly needs help.

Mr Krebs told the court long-time cannabis use had lowered Booth's inhibitions and enabled him to carry out the offending.

He said Booth had now been drug free for half a year.

Judge Rea said he could not see a "clear connection between cannabis use and your desire to go and carry out this sort of offending".

He sentenced Booth to four months home detention and made an order for the destruction of the objectionable images.

It is the second case of its kind in a matter of weeks, with Richard Snook, 42, being sentenced to home detention for similar crimes earlier this month.