AN IT manager took secret videos of women and children undressing at a Poole swimming pool due to the stress from his job, a court heard.

Sameer Mitter, a project manager for JP Morgan Chase, pleaded guilty to two counts of voyeurism at Bournemouth Magistrates Court.

Prosecutor Lee Turner told the court the 35-year-old had used a pen-like camera to record swimmers getting changed in the unisex cubicles at the Dolphin Leisure Centre in Poole last month.

“On October 13, at 10.55am, the victim was getting changed with her children having been swimming,” he said.

“She noticed a pen-like instrument dropped in the gap between her cubicle and another and a hand recovering the item.

“At first she thought nothing of it, but a few moments later it reappeared and she realised it was a camera in the form of a pen.”

Mr Turner said Mitter fled the centre when the victim challenged him, and police later identified him after looking at CCTV footage, and arrested him at the address where he lives with his wife and young daughter.

Police examined the camera and found video files, which they believe were recorded the same day, showing several women and children getting changed.

In mitigation, Mark Proctor said: “His actions came about as a result of immense stress at work and at home.

“He works in a stressful job with exceptionally long hours, sometimes seven days a week, with a young child at home.

“It is fair to say things have not been going well for Mr Mitter.

“He doesn’t use stress as an excuse, he is totally ashamed about what he did, ashamed and sorry for any distress he caused that lady, and for the distress he has caused his family.”

He said Mitter had no intention of recording children and had placed the camera opportunistically each time, unaware of who was in the next cubicle.

Sentencing was adjourned until November 26, but Mitter, of Avenel Way, Poole, was warned he may face jail. He was ordered to sign the sex offenders register and freed on bail on condition he does not enter any unisex public changing facility in the UK.

A spokesman for JP Morgan Chase said: “We take matters like this very seriously and are dealing with this matter through our internal procedures as appropriate.”

‘Safeguards needed’

THE mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, who discovered Mitter’s camera criticised the Dolphin Leisure Centre in a victim impact statement read in court.

Prosecutor Lee Turner said she was “very upset” by the incident.

“The complainant describes some impact in her statement but appears mostly disgusted with the Dolphin Leisure Centre. She says they need to employ more stringent safeguards,” he said.

The centre’s general manager, Rob Slocombe, said: “Everyone Active Leisure Centre: Poole takes its duty of care towards its customers incredibly seriously.

“We have lifeguards who patrol the changing areas every 15 minutes and in the village changing area we have CCTV that monitors all activity outside of the cubicles.”

He said the incident on October 13 was quickly reported to police, and that that CCTV provided evidence leading to Mitter’s arrest.