Locations
Woodside Close, Northwood
Description
A DEPRAVED Isle of Wight man who served in the RAF and as a firefighter and special police constable, has been put behind bars after he set up hidden cameras and filmed females in states of undress.
Andrew Taylor, of Woodside Close, Northwood, appeared before an Isle of Wight Crown Court judge today (Tuesday) to learn his fate, having already admitted six counts of voyeurism and one count of taking indecent images of a child.
The charges relate to incidents between December 31, 2018, and January 23 last year.
Taylor was arrested, after an operation he set up came to light, in which he covertly installed cameras in places to film females in various states of undress, said James Kellen, prosecuting.
The 59-year-old, learning police had been informed, retrieved all his electronic filming devices prior to his arrest.
In interview, Taylor was candid about his activities exceeding what was known to detectives.
He secretly filmed females, who included a teenager, and said he viewed the footage for his own sexual gratification.
A great bulk of the 75 Category C moving images, of three victims, and a still image, were stored on one memory card, Mr Kellen said.
"He never showed the images to anyone. He said that would be weird," Mr Kellen added.
One of the female victims, a teenager, described how the thought of being filmed over a protracted time period had made her paranoid, isolated and prone to panic attacks, for which she has sought therapy.
"I want him locked up. I want his reputation demolished," she said in her victim statement.
In another victim statement, a woman described Taylor's actions as depraved, diabolical and despicable, and branded him a paedophile and a monster.
She said knowing what Taylor did left her broken and in a dark place.
She suffered a nervous breakdown and had wanted to take her own life eventually moving off the Island.
The victim concluded her statement with a plea to the judge: "Please don't let him harm anyone else."
Taylor, with no previous convictions, had served 12 years in the RAF, together with service as a firefighter and special police constable.
For Taylor, Berenice Mulvanny said her client showed remorse and said his shame and guilt "would live with him forever".
Miss Mulvanny said Taylor could not understand the cause of his offending behaviour, but added being caught was a relief to him.
Taylor was imprisoned for 40 months and made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the rest of his life.
When sentencing Taylor, the judge, Recorder Malcolm Gibney, told him: "Your conduct was nothing short of despicable. It was calculated and deliberate.
"The nature of the offending is so grave, and the impact so severe, it will live with the victims for years."