August 2012 Sex offender jailed for 4 years after filming up schoolgirls’ skirts A SERIAL sex offender who was caught filming up schoolgirls’ skirts has been jailed for four years. Stephen Hemingway, 35, was caught by a security guard in HMV, in Whitefriargate, city centre, following a 12-year-old. The guard contacted the police when he spotted Hemingway using his phone to film up her skirt. When he was arrested the police found more images of young girls and women on his phone, who he had also filmed. Hemingway told the police his victim had “enjoyed it”. In a statement read out at Hull Crown Court, the victim’s mother said: “Despite the fact she was unaware at the time, it has affected her since. “She has been shocked by it and it has affected her sleeping.” Hemingway was jailed in 2004 for indecently assaulting a teenager on a train. In 2007 he exposed himself to a nine-year-old girl at a city leisure centre. Two years later he was jailed again for entering a city park, which he was banned from doing by a court order. He was given a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) in 2004 and this is the fourth time he has breached it. On his arrest he told probation officers his order could “go to hell”. Judge Simon Jack has jailed him for four years for what he described as “disturbing” conduct. The judge told Hemingway: “You have a considerable record, over the past eight years that record has revolved to a substantial extent around sex offending and breaching your SOPO. “This is the fourth time you have failed to comply with the notification requirements of the sex offenders’ register. “This is a very disturbing picture, made even more disturbing by what you said to the probation officer. You said that you hadn’t harmed anyone and that the victim most likely enjoyed the experience. “You were frustrated at not being allowed to view the video. It is no surprise that the Probation Service take the view you pose a very high risk of causing serious harm. “You seem to have no regard whatsoever for the order that was made against you. “It was intended to try to control your behaviour. You simply ignored it and committed more offences and that is very worrying. “This is a very worrying offence given your background and history and I take a very serious view of it. “I accept there was never any contact and that girl may never have known what you were doing if she had not been told afterwards by the police but there was a real risk of serious harm if she had appreciated what you were doing. “I’m very concerned about your behaviour generally.” He pleaded guilty at Hull Crown Court to committing an act of outraging public decency and breach his SOPO. His barrister Richard Thompson told the court: “He instructs me that following his release from his last custodial sentence he has made significant efforts to lead a normal lifestyle. “He tried to establish a relationship with an adult female but it ended in rejection and he struggled to deal with it. “It led to him resorting to consuming alcohol and it led to this offence. Both the victim and her mother were appalled by his behaviour. “He obviously has deep-rooted difficulties and he hopes he can receive further treatment while in custody.” Hemingway, of Hedon Road, east Hull, has 47 convictions, seven for sex offending since 2004. He has been ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life and has been disqualified from working with children for life.