Locations
The Worthys, Bradley Stoke, Bristol, BS32
Description
A senior engineer who rigged up spy cameras in Bristol to film a teenage girl having sex has been jailed.
Michael Sheffe, a former British Aerospace employee, was found to have captured the lewd footage and stored it in files, labelling one "horny".
The 51-year-old was also found to have downloaded child abuse images from the internet as well as more than 2,000 "extreme pornography" photographs.
Sheffe, of The Worthys in Bradley Stoke, pleaded guilty to six charges of making indecent photos of children and a charge of possessing extreme pornography.
He also admitted four charges of taking indecent images and two counts of voyeurism.
Judge Martin Picton jailed him for three years and ten months.
He told Sheffe: "The creation of such images, and their knowledge you did that for your own sexual gratification is, frankly, a crime of breath-taking cruelty.
"The victim impact statements demonstrate the enormous harm that you have done and your actions beggar belief."
The judge ordered that Sheffe's computer equipment be destroyed and imposed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order restricting his access to children under 18 and to the internet.
Sheffe was barred from working with children and vulnerable adults and told to register as a sex offender indefinitely.
Julian Howells, prosecuting, said Sheffe rigged up spy cams to recorded private footage of a teenager, including sexual activity.
Police who had cause to search Sheffe's computer equipment also found voyeuristic material of the girl on his mobile phone and more such material on a video camera, the court heard.
Michael Sheffe
Sheffe initially told police what he had done was not sexually motivated.
It was then confirmed he had searched for child abuse photos on the internet, as well as bestiality images to "see what was out there".
His sordid child abuse collection included 2,263 child abuse stills and 2,441 extreme pornography stills, including some movies.
Mathew Comer, defending, said: "He was a supervising engineer for British Aerospace but was dismissed.
"He will not work in that industry again and he thinks he's unlikely to ever get a responsible job.
"He's lost everything. He is an intelligent man and he feels shame and regret.
"The pre-sentence report concludes he is highly unlikely to ever come before these courts again.
"There is no possibility other than an immediate custodial sentence."