Darren Johnson CAUGHT FILMING GIRLS AT PUTNEY LEISURE CENTRE AND EDDIE Catz IN PUTNEY
| Red Rose Database
Putney Child Sexual Abuser
In August 2018, a disturbing case emerged involving Darren Johnson, the founder of the children’s soft play company Eddie Catz, who was implicated in a series of covert and illegal activities targeting young girls and women in Putney and surrounding areas.
Johnson, aged 51 and a married father of two, was caught on CCTV engaging in suspicious behavior at a local leisure centre in Putney. The footage revealed him stalking two 14-year-old girls, following their movements around the swimming pool and changing areas. Court reports detailed how Johnson used his mobile phone to look under the cubicles where the girls were changing, an act that raised serious concerns about his intentions and conduct.
Further investigations uncovered that Johnson had been secretly filming individuals in various locations, including the leisure centre, public toilets at an Eddie Catz venue in Earlsfield, Surrey, and even within his own company’s private changing rooms. Police found hundreds of indecent images on his devices, including photographs of women’s exposed breasts, which he had taken through two peepholes installed in a toilet at the Earlsfield location.
During the court proceedings at Kingston Crown Court, it was revealed that Johnson had amassed over 700 indecent images of women and children. The images included footage and photographs taken over a span of more than a decade, from January 2005 to June 2017. Prosecutor Lauren Sales detailed how Johnson’s activities extended to filming people changing at the leisure centre, capturing images of his female employees in private changing rooms, and taking photographs of children and adults without their consent.
According to the court, Johnson’s predatory behavior was documented through CCTV footage showing him stalking children, particularly during times when school swim clubs were present. The footage clearly depicted him approaching the swimming pool, following children to the shower and cubicle areas, and even entering cubicles next to the girls he was observing. The court highlighted an incident involving a 12-year-old girl, whom Johnson was seen following very clearly on CCTV.
Johnson’s arrest was prompted when the two 14-year-old girls noticed his iPhone 6 protruding from under the adjacent cubicle, which led to his identification and subsequent detention. Police also discovered that one of his computers contained approximately 150 files of images taken at Putney Leisure Centre, although investigators believe this was only a small fraction of the illicit material he had stored and failed to delete.
In July, Johnson pleaded guilty to five counts of voyeurism, acknowledging his misconduct over a period spanning 12 years. He admitted to filming and taking indecent images of his employees in private changing rooms between January 2005 and February 2012. The court heard that Johnson recognized the severity of his actions and expressed remorse, noting that both he and his wife, Maria, who remains a director at Eddie Catz, had sought therapy following the revelations.
Johnson, who has children aged 18 and 20, resigned from his position as director of Eddie Catz in September 2018 after the allegations surfaced. His wife continues to serve as a director at the company. Judge Andrew Campbell granted bail to Johnson and scheduled the sentencing for the following day, emphasizing the seriousness of his offenses and the need for further legal proceedings.
Johnson, aged 51 and a married father of two, was caught on CCTV engaging in suspicious behavior at a local leisure centre in Putney. The footage revealed him stalking two 14-year-old girls, following their movements around the swimming pool and changing areas. Court reports detailed how Johnson used his mobile phone to look under the cubicles where the girls were changing, an act that raised serious concerns about his intentions and conduct.
Further investigations uncovered that Johnson had been secretly filming individuals in various locations, including the leisure centre, public toilets at an Eddie Catz venue in Earlsfield, Surrey, and even within his own company’s private changing rooms. Police found hundreds of indecent images on his devices, including photographs of women’s exposed breasts, which he had taken through two peepholes installed in a toilet at the Earlsfield location.
During the court proceedings at Kingston Crown Court, it was revealed that Johnson had amassed over 700 indecent images of women and children. The images included footage and photographs taken over a span of more than a decade, from January 2005 to June 2017. Prosecutor Lauren Sales detailed how Johnson’s activities extended to filming people changing at the leisure centre, capturing images of his female employees in private changing rooms, and taking photographs of children and adults without their consent.
According to the court, Johnson’s predatory behavior was documented through CCTV footage showing him stalking children, particularly during times when school swim clubs were present. The footage clearly depicted him approaching the swimming pool, following children to the shower and cubicle areas, and even entering cubicles next to the girls he was observing. The court highlighted an incident involving a 12-year-old girl, whom Johnson was seen following very clearly on CCTV.
Johnson’s arrest was prompted when the two 14-year-old girls noticed his iPhone 6 protruding from under the adjacent cubicle, which led to his identification and subsequent detention. Police also discovered that one of his computers contained approximately 150 files of images taken at Putney Leisure Centre, although investigators believe this was only a small fraction of the illicit material he had stored and failed to delete.
In July, Johnson pleaded guilty to five counts of voyeurism, acknowledging his misconduct over a period spanning 12 years. He admitted to filming and taking indecent images of his employees in private changing rooms between January 2005 and February 2012. The court heard that Johnson recognized the severity of his actions and expressed remorse, noting that both he and his wife, Maria, who remains a director at Eddie Catz, had sought therapy following the revelations.
Johnson, who has children aged 18 and 20, resigned from his position as director of Eddie Catz in September 2018 after the allegations surfaced. His wife continues to serve as a director at the company. Judge Andrew Campbell granted bail to Johnson and scheduled the sentencing for the following day, emphasizing the seriousness of his offenses and the need for further legal proceedings.