A MAN who filmed naked children drying themselves with towels in a changing room has been jailed for voyeurism and offences relating to indecent images and extreme pornography.

The footage recorded at an unknown location by Tony Lee Downes came to light when police were examining his phone.

This was after he had been arrested by Dorset Police in relation to a report of voyeurism at an address in east Dorset.

Downes, 43 and of Hinchliffe Road, Poole, appeared for sentencing at Bournemouth Crown Court on October 1 having previously pleaded guilty to two counts of voyeurism, possessing extreme pornography and taking an indecent photograph of a child.

Prosecuting, Christopher Wing said the defendant was arrested after the initial report and had his phone taken off him for examination.

Police found three moving images of children, which appeared to be films of them undressed, and he was rearrested.

The ages of the children in the videos was believed to be between nine and 14, Mr Wing said.

Admissions from the defendant were made in relation to further video files of a voyeuristic nature, with references made to upskirting and wanting to take videos of women in various states of undress.

The extreme pornography found on the phone included footage of female genital mutilation, the court heard.

Mitigating, Robert Grey said Downes, who worked as a parcel delivery driver, had taken steps to address his offending behaviour.

Mr Grey said the defendant had said “I am completely in the wrong” and “I hate myself for all of this”.

While the barrister accepted the case crossed the custody threshold, he asked Judge Jonathan Fuller QC to consider giving Downes “a first chance” and handing down a suspended sentence.

Downes was unlikely to come back before the courts, he was of previous good character, he was “genuinely remorseful” for his actions and he had taken steps to address his offending, the judge said.

However, the judge added that due to the nature of the defendant’s offending and that it was a series of crimes he could not suspend the prison sentence as “it would not reflect the collective seriousness of the offences together”.

Referencing the changing room footage, which was filmed by the Downes, the judge told the defendant the images were “used for your own gratification”.

Judge Fuller QC jailed the defendant for 15 months and ordered forfeiture and destruction of the mobile phone.

Downes was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and sex offenders register requirement.

In a statement after the hearing, officer in the case Detective Constable Ade Stocker, of Dorset Police, told the Daily Echo: “I am pleased that Tony Downes has been given a custodial sentence for the offences he committed.

“I hope that the outcome of this case demonstrates that we take reports of this nature very seriously and other victims will have the confidence to report offences.

“We will do all we can to support victims and ensure offenders are identified and held responsible.

“We are absolutely committed to investigating such offending and I would urge anyone who believes they may have been a victim to come forward to Dorset Police.”