Female worker filmed in toilet by Haworth man (From Keighley News)

Female worker filmed in toilet by Haworth man

11:00am Thursday 14th February 2013 in News By Keighley News reporter

Secretly filming female colleagues using the toilet at work landed a care home worker in court.

Bradford and Keighley Magis-trates’ Court heard on Monday that Graham Bevan, 53, had hidden a mobile phone in a communal bathroom at the care home in Keighley that looks after adults with mental health problems.

Paul Ramsey, prosecuting, said a member of staff was using the communal toilet, which was also used by residents, on December 1, 2011, when she heard a vibrating sound coming from the left.

She investigated and found a hole in the woven material of a bath back rest, about 1.5 metres away from the toilet.

On closer inspection, she found a black Sony Ericsson mobile phone inside, which was switched on in video mode and recording.

While reporting the incident to a colleague, Bevan approached her.

“Then, without warning, he snatched the phone and proceeded to the exit with a fast pace. Asked what he was doing, he said he was deleting everything from the phone,” Mr Ramsey added.

The court heard Bevan twice apologised to staff, and said he was filming to see how many people were using the bathroom.

Police searched Bevan’s home in Lord Street, Haworth, and found a mobile phone and computer with seven homemade recordings taken at the care home.

The court heard the films were of an explicit nature and that the camera had been positioned so as to record people using the toilet.

In a statement, one of three women filmed, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: “The emotional impact is such that I feel violated.

“I’m upset someone I trusted and worked with could do this.

“He makes my skin crawl. He makes me feel so sick.”

Mitigating, Mohammed Hussain asked magistrates to consider the films were not distributed, were not of sexual activity, were not made for commercial gain and did not show any vulnerable residents.

“He initially started recording the toilet facilities because he was told you’re not allowed to use your mobile phones whilst working and he thought people were going to the toilet and using their mobile phones,” Mr Hussain said. “He placed the camera there to catch people.”

But Bevan had seen a recording of a woman using the toilet and taken ‘sexual gratification’ from it.

The court heard Bevan had no previous convictions, and had depression and anxiety as a result of his behaviour.

Bevan had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two counts of voyeurism and one of attempting to observe a person doing a private act, without their consent.

He was told his case was too serious to be dealt with by magistrates and he will be sentenced at Bradford Crown Court on March 12. He was remanded on bail by magistrates on condition he does not approach the three women filmed or go within 100 metres of the care home.