Pool pervert avoids jail

9:05am Saturday 3rd March 2007

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Swimming pool pevert Stephen Reynolds, who was caught pointing a camera at children under the cubicle of a changing room, has avoided a jail sentence.

Reynolds, 49, of Reading Street, Railway Village, was trying to get snaps of a six-year-old girl and her ten-year-old brother as they got dressed after being in the baths.

He pleaded guilty to a charge of attempted voyeurism when he appeared at Swindon Crown Court Yesterday.

But he was put on a three-year probation order with the condition that he completes a sex offenders' programme. The judge said he could not jail him long enough for his to get proper help.

The children's father caught Reynolds as he spied on the youngsters at the Oasis leisure centre last Easter. But Reynolds managed to destroy his camera before it could be examined.

Claire Marlow, prosecuting, told the court that the dad had gone to the pool with his children on April 17 last year.

She said they went into a family changing cubicle at about 2pm and were drying off when the boy noticed a camera being held under the wall.

"The son said to the father Daddy, there's a camera on the floor' and pointed and saw a camera pointed towards them held by two hands. It was pointing towards them under the cubicle wall," she said.

At the time the young girl getting changed. The dad went round to the neighbouring door and smashed through it to find the defendant inside with the camera.

"He shouted at Mr Reynolds to give him the camera and Mr Reynolds responded by saying he would call the police. Other members of staff came along and that gave Mr Reynolds the opportunity to run off.

"He ran off and smashed the camera and made sure it was smashed to pieces by stamping on it."

The police were called and he was arrested, she said.

"He said he smashed the camera because pictures of his own daughter were on it and panicked not knowing what the police would think about it," she said. He said that as he was changing the camera fell on the floor and after shouting the man burst through the door.

Chris Smyth, defending, said that his client accepted that he had a problem and wanted to get help for it.

"He accepts he has an attraction to young girls and is willing to address the problem," he said.

Passing sentence, Judge Douglas Field said: "The offence to which you have pleaded guilty is a serious matter. Just think what went through the father's mind when he took his young children on a pleasant outing to the swimming bath and there is you with a camera trying to take photographs of a young girl naked.

"My first instinct when I read these papers was that you should be severely punished and sent to prison."

But pointing out that were he to be jailed it would not be for a long enough sentence for him to get help, he imposed a community order.

He said Reynolds must complete the Thames Valley Sex Offenders' Programme and banned him from working with children for life. He also imposed a Sexual Offences Prevention Order restricting his liberty.

A Swindon Council spokeswoman said: "We have a zero tolerance policy on taking unauthorised photographs in our leisure facilities and staff are extra vigilant in enforcing this."

Last summer William Pollard, 52, of Pleydells, Cricklade, was caught making a video of an eight-year-old boy at the Oasis. He was given a six-month suspended jail term after admitting a charge of voyeurism and making seven indecent pictures of children.