THORNABY SEX OFFENDER CHLEO SUNTER CAUGHT RECORDING MEN IN PUBLIC TOILETS IN MIDDLESBROUGH AND DARLINGTON

Chleo Sunter, a registered sex offender residing in Thornaby, has been found guilty of secretly recording men using public restrooms in Middlesbrough and Darlington. The 37-year-old woman was discovered with an extensive collection of illicit material, including 790 photographs and 15 videos capturing men inside toilet cubicles and at urinals. These recordings were made in the men's facilities at an Aldi supermarket and a shopping centre in Middlesbrough, as well as at Darlington Train Station.

Her criminal activities came to light when her sex offender management team visited her home in Thornaby to ensure her compliance with the court's restrictions. During this visit, authorities uncovered the illicit media stored on her phone, which included images and videos of victims in various public conveniences near Middlesbrough’s Captain Cook Square shopping area, at the Aldi store, and at Darlington station.

At Teesside Crown Court on Wednesday, Sunter, who was previously known as John Leslie Graham, admitted to her latest offences. She pleaded guilty to two counts of voyeurism, which involved recording individuals engaged in private acts with the intent of sexual gratification, knowing that the victims had not consented to being recorded. These offences occurred between January and November 2023. Additionally, she confessed to six breaches of a sexual harm prevention order that had been imposed on her in the past.

The court heard that Sunter had a history of sexual offenses, including a conviction for sexual assault in 2012 when she was known by her former name, John Leslie Graham. She was also convicted in 2014 for possession of extreme pornographic images.

The investigation revealed that during a police visit in November 2023, Sunter was not at her residence but was located nearby. Authorities discovered she had deleted 695 chat messages, 712 photographs, and four videos from her Grindr account, a popular gay dating app. Furthermore, she had attempted to conceal her activities by using incognito mode on her phone, making her internet history inaccessible. She also reset her device to factory settings, which was considered a further breach of her court orders.

Prosecutor Paul Newcombe detailed the disturbing nature of her recordings, stating, “Some of the males were stood at the urinals. Some were recorded under the cubicles.”

In sentencing, the judge sentenced Sunter to 26 months in prison. While acknowledging her emotional vulnerability, the judge emphasized that custody would be necessary to protect the public and uphold justice, despite the difficulties it might pose for her.