STANLEY HARRIS OF OXTON SENTENCED IN WIRRAL FOR SEX OFFENCES AND ILLEGAL DEVICE POSSESSION
A man with a history of secret filming and indecent images has been found in possession of 14 unregistered devices after police investigation.Stanley Harris, 72, previously served 13 months in prison after installing a hidden camera in his bathroom and spying on a child, a young woman, and their mother.
His illicit videos came to light in 2016 when he took his laptop to a computer repair shop in Bebington for data transfer.
A technician noticed an indecent video of a child showering, prompting police to recover one category A image and two category C images.
Harris was sentenced to 13 months in prison and was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.
He was also subjected to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which prohibits him from deleting his internet history and requires him to register any internet-connected devices with police.
Recently, during a routine visit to his home on June 16 this year, officers discovered 14 hidden devices.
Angela Blackmore, prosecuting at Wirral Magistrates' Court, explained that when police asked if Harris had any internet-capable devices, he handed over a mobile phone with only recent browsing history.
Ms.
Blackmore stated, "Officers asked if he had deleted the internet history and he indicated he had." When asked about other devices, Harris initially denied possessing more but then produced a second mobile phone and a laptop, which officers subsequently found to be unregistered devices.
Harris was arrested, and further investigation revealed he kept a total of 14 secret devices.
He has no other previous convictions besides the ones in 2017, when he admitted to two counts of downloading indecent images of children, one of taking and possessing such images, and voyeurism.
At Liverpool Crown Court, it was revealed that he had filmed a 12-minute video of a girl showering, a 15-minute video of a young woman showering, and had videotaped an adult female in the process of undressing.
Catherine Higham, defending Harris, acknowledged that he pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and argued that imprisonment would negatively impact his health and well-being, citing arthritis and his age.
She highlighted that there had been four years of compliance and stressed Harris was not in possession of other indecent images.
Harris, of Devonshire Road in Oxton, admitted to two counts of breaching his SHPO on June 16.
Chair of the Magistrates' Court, Mr.
Chamberlain, stated that the offences warranted an immediate custodial sentence because Harris knowingly breached his order by deleting internet history and was found with 14 unregistered devices.
Harris was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison, fined with a £128 surcharge, and the devices were forfeited and destroyed.
