Rental cottages owner charged with voyeurism

The Swansea Crown Court has found David Sturgess, 54, guilty on 12 counts of voyeurism along with three separate counts of taking indecent pictures of children. He was sentenced to 30 months in prison.

David Strugess had put up spy cameras in fake smoke alarm systems, which had the feature of zooming in and out of a frame. He used these to film guests that had rented out his cottages, 3 of whom were children. This news was devastating to the people who used the cottages and considered it a gross intrusion of privacy.

A farm outbuilding was converted into three star cottages that were rent out for as much as 400 pounds a week on the internet. This venture was backed by the Welsh tourist board.

Unbeknown to the tourism board officials though, a network of hidden cameras and video recorders were installed in some rooms, the majority of these fitted in fake smoke alarm settings, in order to video tape guests.

These cameras were equipped with the feature of zooming in and out and were often used on guests as they showered, undressed, used the toilet or of course, had sex. Sturgess wired them up to a TV monitor, where he would watch it all.

This information was told to the court by his former partner Teresa Crick. The cottages were adjacent to their own property. She reported him to the police after they split up.