MICHAEL CONNOR'S HORRIFIC PERVERSION IN LEEDS: TEENAGE VICTIM'S SHOCKING STORY
| Red Rose Database
Leeds Sexual Abuser
In October 2012, a disturbing case emerged from Leeds involving Michael Connor, a man whose actions have left a trail of betrayal and trauma within his own family. The story centers around Bethany, a teenage girl who had trusted her stepfather implicitly since he moved into her family home at the age of seven. Her childhood was filled with typical family activities such as camping trips, visits to the cinema, bike rides, and meals out, which fostered a sense of happiness and security.
However, everything changed in 2009 when Bethany’s mother, Tracy, married Michael Connor. Just a month after the wedding, Bethany, then only 15 years old, discovered a horrifying secret that shattered her sense of safety and trust. While browsing the family laptop, she uncovered video footage that revealed Michael Connor had been secretly filming her in her own bedroom. The videos showed her in various states of undress—getting ready for school, undressing after showers, and drying off—captured without her knowledge or consent. Shockingly, the footage also included a sequence where Connor entered her room to test the hidden cameras he had installed.
What made the situation even more disturbing was the fact that Connor had been collecting these images over a period of years, storing them in a file he callously labeled “home videos.” Bethany, now 18 and training to become a nurse, recalls her reaction vividly: “I felt sick when I found the videos. There were ten different sets of footage. In some of them I was in my bra and pants, but in others, I was completely naked. I was in shock staring at the screen and started panicking when the second video showed my stepdad Michael coming into my room in the morning to test the cameras. Complete horror washed over me when I realized it was him. I didn’t want to believe it. There were graphic videos of me drying off after a shower. I was shaking as I realized the man I trusted as my dad was a sick pervert.”
Initially, Bethany tried to find the cameras in her room, but she was unable to locate any. She confided in her mother, Tracy, but was met with disbelief and denial. Fearing her stepfather’s reaction, she kept her discovery to herself for some time. It wasn’t until February of the following year that Bethany noticed Michael Connor, then 39, spending more time on his laptop. Curious and disturbed, she later found a new batch of footage—this time, more recent videos of her in the nude. She confided in her boyfriend, Ryan, who was equally shocked, and together they decided to reveal everything to her mother.
When Bethany showed Tracy the videos, her mother was overwhelmed with emotion, sobbing as she learned of her husband’s depravity. Bethany also revealed that she had found similar images when she was just 15. In a shocking twist, Tracy begged her daughter not to report Michael Connor to the police, pleading with her to resolve the matter within the family. Bethany, feeling betrayed and desperate for justice, was supported by her brother Nathan, aged 21, who ignored their mother’s pleas and contacted the authorities.
Following the police investigation, officers searched the family home and discovered two tiny cameras hidden in Bethany’s bedroom. Michael Connor was arrested and subsequently banned from contacting Bethany. He was removed from the family residence and placed in a hostel. In August, Connor pleaded guilty to two charges of voyeurism and was sentenced to three years’ community service, three years’ probation, and a five-year registration on the sex offenders’ register. Bethany expressed relief at the outcome but also shared her ongoing pain: “It was a huge relief,” she said. “But he’d convinced Mum he did the filming for my own good because he wanted to check I was doing my homework properly. I couldn’t believe it—the only film on the computer was me naked or in my underwear.”
Bethany and her brother Nathan have since moved out of the family home, severing ties with their mother, as they cannot accept her support for Michael Connor. Bethany described her feelings of betrayal: “I’d try to talk to Mum about what happened, but she just kept saying Mike was a good dad. I’m devastated.”
Her relationship with her biological father was also strained; she lost contact with him after her mother’s separation from her biological dad when she was four. Her mother met Connor three years later, and Bethany had initially viewed him as a caring figure who helped with homework and enjoyed family outings. She recalls: “I called him Mike, and although he could be strict, he helped with my homework and would go on bike rides with me. We went camping as a family and, as we got older, for restaurant meals and to the cinema. I felt so lucky because Mum and I were close, too. We watched soaps together and cuddled up on the sofa.”
However, beneath this seemingly normal family life, a dark secret was brewing. Bethany confided that she was afraid her mother would blame her for Connor’s actions. She recalls feeling scared and confused, choosing to stay silent in hopes that the situation would resolve itself. Over time, Connor’s behavior changed; he became hostile towards her, disapproving of her interactions with male friends and her dressing up to go out. She often changed in the bathroom to avoid him.
Despite her hopes that things would improve, suspicions grew when she noticed her room door left open and found recent footage of herself in the nude on his computer. The discovery left her feeling sick, angry, and devastated. She expected her mother to be disgusted, but instead, Tracy wanted to defend Connor and was furious when the police were involved. Bethany’s distress deepened when she learned that Connor had justified his filming by claiming she was attractive and that it was for her own good, a lie she found repulsive.
She has since been in contact with her biological father, and she, along with Nathan, attended court proceedings. During the trial, the prosecution revealed that Michael Connor had told police he filmed Bethany because she was an attractive girl. Bethany expressed her heartbreak: “His dirty films were nothing to do with ensuring I was studying. I’ve since seen Mum walking along the street laughing with him, and when I called recently to see if I could collect some belongings, she told me I couldn’t because Michael was there. I feel so betrayed by both of them. I thought Mum would always protect me, but instead, she walks hand in hand with the man who spied on her teenage daughter.”
When asked for a comment, Tracy responded dismissively: “Bethany is my daughter but left home for other reasons, which I don’t want to go into. I’ve given her everything and I can’t believe she treats her family like this.”
However, everything changed in 2009 when Bethany’s mother, Tracy, married Michael Connor. Just a month after the wedding, Bethany, then only 15 years old, discovered a horrifying secret that shattered her sense of safety and trust. While browsing the family laptop, she uncovered video footage that revealed Michael Connor had been secretly filming her in her own bedroom. The videos showed her in various states of undress—getting ready for school, undressing after showers, and drying off—captured without her knowledge or consent. Shockingly, the footage also included a sequence where Connor entered her room to test the hidden cameras he had installed.
What made the situation even more disturbing was the fact that Connor had been collecting these images over a period of years, storing them in a file he callously labeled “home videos.” Bethany, now 18 and training to become a nurse, recalls her reaction vividly: “I felt sick when I found the videos. There were ten different sets of footage. In some of them I was in my bra and pants, but in others, I was completely naked. I was in shock staring at the screen and started panicking when the second video showed my stepdad Michael coming into my room in the morning to test the cameras. Complete horror washed over me when I realized it was him. I didn’t want to believe it. There were graphic videos of me drying off after a shower. I was shaking as I realized the man I trusted as my dad was a sick pervert.”
Initially, Bethany tried to find the cameras in her room, but she was unable to locate any. She confided in her mother, Tracy, but was met with disbelief and denial. Fearing her stepfather’s reaction, she kept her discovery to herself for some time. It wasn’t until February of the following year that Bethany noticed Michael Connor, then 39, spending more time on his laptop. Curious and disturbed, she later found a new batch of footage—this time, more recent videos of her in the nude. She confided in her boyfriend, Ryan, who was equally shocked, and together they decided to reveal everything to her mother.
When Bethany showed Tracy the videos, her mother was overwhelmed with emotion, sobbing as she learned of her husband’s depravity. Bethany also revealed that she had found similar images when she was just 15. In a shocking twist, Tracy begged her daughter not to report Michael Connor to the police, pleading with her to resolve the matter within the family. Bethany, feeling betrayed and desperate for justice, was supported by her brother Nathan, aged 21, who ignored their mother’s pleas and contacted the authorities.
Following the police investigation, officers searched the family home and discovered two tiny cameras hidden in Bethany’s bedroom. Michael Connor was arrested and subsequently banned from contacting Bethany. He was removed from the family residence and placed in a hostel. In August, Connor pleaded guilty to two charges of voyeurism and was sentenced to three years’ community service, three years’ probation, and a five-year registration on the sex offenders’ register. Bethany expressed relief at the outcome but also shared her ongoing pain: “It was a huge relief,” she said. “But he’d convinced Mum he did the filming for my own good because he wanted to check I was doing my homework properly. I couldn’t believe it—the only film on the computer was me naked or in my underwear.”
Bethany and her brother Nathan have since moved out of the family home, severing ties with their mother, as they cannot accept her support for Michael Connor. Bethany described her feelings of betrayal: “I’d try to talk to Mum about what happened, but she just kept saying Mike was a good dad. I’m devastated.”
Her relationship with her biological father was also strained; she lost contact with him after her mother’s separation from her biological dad when she was four. Her mother met Connor three years later, and Bethany had initially viewed him as a caring figure who helped with homework and enjoyed family outings. She recalls: “I called him Mike, and although he could be strict, he helped with my homework and would go on bike rides with me. We went camping as a family and, as we got older, for restaurant meals and to the cinema. I felt so lucky because Mum and I were close, too. We watched soaps together and cuddled up on the sofa.”
However, beneath this seemingly normal family life, a dark secret was brewing. Bethany confided that she was afraid her mother would blame her for Connor’s actions. She recalls feeling scared and confused, choosing to stay silent in hopes that the situation would resolve itself. Over time, Connor’s behavior changed; he became hostile towards her, disapproving of her interactions with male friends and her dressing up to go out. She often changed in the bathroom to avoid him.
Despite her hopes that things would improve, suspicions grew when she noticed her room door left open and found recent footage of herself in the nude on his computer. The discovery left her feeling sick, angry, and devastated. She expected her mother to be disgusted, but instead, Tracy wanted to defend Connor and was furious when the police were involved. Bethany’s distress deepened when she learned that Connor had justified his filming by claiming she was attractive and that it was for her own good, a lie she found repulsive.
She has since been in contact with her biological father, and she, along with Nathan, attended court proceedings. During the trial, the prosecution revealed that Michael Connor had told police he filmed Bethany because she was an attractive girl. Bethany expressed her heartbreak: “His dirty films were nothing to do with ensuring I was studying. I’ve since seen Mum walking along the street laughing with him, and when I called recently to see if I could collect some belongings, she told me I couldn’t because Michael was there. I feel so betrayed by both of them. I thought Mum would always protect me, but instead, she walks hand in hand with the man who spied on her teenage daughter.”
When asked for a comment, Tracy responded dismissively: “Bethany is my daughter but left home for other reasons, which I don’t want to go into. I’ve given her everything and I can’t believe she treats her family like this.”