BRISTOL POLICE ENGINEER ANTHONY HEDGES CAUGHT VOYEURISM IN BRISTOL AND WEST MERCIA
In December 2022, a disturbing case emerged involving Anthony Hedges, a police communications engineer based in Bristol, who was found to have committed a serious sexual offence involving voyeurism.Hedges, aged 50 and also known as Tony, was accused of secretly recording a naked woman and storing explicit photographs of her on multiple hard drives.
The incident came to light when the victim noticed a mobile phone camera protruding through a slightly open door in her residence.
Alarmed, she called out “hello,” which prompted her to hear shuffling noises outside the room.
Reacting swiftly, she dressed herself and went to confront whoever was outside.
Upon finding Hedges nearby, the woman repeatedly questioned his actions.
Hedges denied any wrongdoing, claiming he was not doing anything.
When she accused him of slipping a phone through the door, he responded with a dismissive “f**k off.” The woman’s suspicions were confirmed when police later discovered numerous hard drives in Hedges’ office.
These drives contained a collection of photographs depicting her in various states of undress, a clear indication of his voyeuristic tendencies.
In her police statement, the victim expressed feelings of anger, violation, threat, upset, and a sense of being unsafe and lost due to Hedges’ invasive behavior.
Hedges, who previously held a high-security clearance to work on the West Mercia Police airwave network, lost his job as a Motorola engineer earning approximately £50,000 annually.
His role involved critical communication infrastructure for emergency services, including the West Mercia Police.
Following his arrest and the evidence gathered, Hedges was brought before Salisbury Magistrates’ Court on 22 November, where he admitted to the sexual offence.
Magistrate Peter McPherson described the crime as “monstrous” and deemed it too serious to be sentenced in the magistrates’ court, thus referring the case to Salisbury Crown Court for a more severe hearing.
At the time of the proceedings, Hedges was released on conditional bail, allowing him to spend Christmas at home.
He currently resides at Okebourne Close, Brentry, Bristol, living with his mother.
The sentencing is scheduled for early 2023, and the case continues to draw attention due to the serious nature of the offence and the breach of trust involved.
