A Swindon man secretly filmed a woman naked – leaving his victim fearful, a court heard.
50-year-old Mark Bowyer was ordered to register as a sex offender after he admitted committing an act of voyeurism, which left his victim depressed and anxious.
At Swindon Magistrates’ Court today (Monday), in a highly unusual move prosecutor Tom Power failed to outline the case in open court – meaning little is known about the exact nature of the offending.
Having ignored the principle of open justice, Wiltshire 999s made a successful application to the court to obtain documents pertaining to Bowyer’s crime, but they have not yet been provided.
During the hearing, the victim – bravely reading out her impact statement in court – said she has installed security lights around her property and fears what he might be capable of.
She told of how she often stays awake at night and is now medicated for depression and anxiety. She said the incident has had a “significant impact” on her emotional wellbeing.
“I don’t want him to do it to anyone else… I want him to know he can’t get away with this”, she said.
Barrister Rachael Stitt, defending, said that Bowyer offers his apologies to his victim and the court.
She said the the defendant may lose his job if he has to register as a sex offender and urged the bench not to follow the pre-sentence report to avoid that.
A series of character references were provided to the magistrates, including one from his son who described him as a “kind, caring and respectful man”.
A friend said Bowyer is an “inspiration” and told of how he – many years ago – saved a female from domestic violence by shielding her and taking her to hospital, saving her eyesight.
Accepting his “genuine remorse”, magistrates imposed an 18-month community order. He was told to complete 50 rehabilitation activity days and given a mental health treatment requirement.
The defendant, of High Street, Old Town, was also fined just over £1,900 and ordered to register has a sex offender for five years. He’ll also pay a court surcharge.
Victims of sexual crimes have the right to lifelong anonymity. It is an imprisonable criminal offence to share any piece of information that could lead to their identification.
