SOUTHPORT SHOP WORKER ALEXANDER COCKBURN JAILED FOR VOYEURISM AND CHILD IMAGES
A DEVOUT Christian filmed up the skirts of scores of unsuspecting women, a court heard.Alexander Cockburn, 31, compiled films dubbed “high street honeys” using more than 200 clips of unwitting Southport shoppers.
The shop worker, of Aughton Road, Birkdale, also set up a hidden camera to spy on a colleague when she used the toilet.
And, after he was caught by police, officers unearthed child pornography on a church laptop which he used to project hymn lyrics onto a screen for worshippers at his local church.
Cockburn, of Aughton Road, was sentenced to eight months in jail at Liverpool crown court after admitting voyeurism, public indecency, and indecent images offences.
The judge, John Phipps, described Cockburn as a “rather isolated individual” who became addicted to porn.
He said: “The seriousness of these offences can only be met with a custodial sentence.
The offences of outraging public decency and voyeurism are behaviour of an intrusive and particularly nasty type involving a large number of unsuspecting women.” The court heard how Cockburn, who held an “informal” role at Victoria Methodist Church in Southport, became smitten with a colleague at his part-time job.
Prosecutor Chris Hopkins explained how the victim felt unnerved around Cockburn and tried to keep away from him.
In July 2010, Cockburn installed a concealed camera into an upstairs toilet to film her.
The act was described by Judge Phipps, who viewed the footage, as a “gross invasion of privacy”.
He also preyed on female shoppers in Southport town centre, filming up their skirts.
Mr Hopkins mentioned how Cockburn would go out with his camcorder on warm days when women “would not be wearing tights”.
The offence was uncovered in April last year when a woman shopping at TK Maxx became wary of him loitering “annoying close” to her to pass his camera concealed in a holdall beneath her skirt.
She told her police officer husband, who retrieved CCTV footage of Cockburn in action.
Upon arrest, police found 218 clips compiled into two longer films.
They also found 82 indecent images of children on his church computer.
Defense lawyer James Burke stated that the photos of girls aged 16 and 17 were downloaded alongside large amounts of adult pornography and that Cockburn had an “unhealthy addiction to pornography” which he needed to address.
Cockburn pleaded guilty to one count of voyeurism, four counts of outraging public decency, and seven counts of making indecent images of children.
The court ordered him to sign the sex offenders’ register and be subject to a sexual offences prevention order banning him from owning a computer or recording equipment.
Detective Inspector Dave Keegan commented that Cockburn had an “unhealthy interest in women” that led to a catalogue of offences being committed regularly.
