Mansfield swimming pool voyeur set for crown court

Martin Socha’s victim screamed when she saw his mobile phone appear over the cubicle wall, in a family changing room at the Bath Street swimming pool, at 6pm, on September 6.

Her husband chased after Socha and detained him at the front doors with the help of a member of staff.

“He was seen trying to delete images from his phone and telling staff he had done nothing wrong,” said prosecutor Neil Hollett.

“He said he was filming someone he thought was his friend.”

Police found another camera, hidden in a sock in his rucksack, and he was heard muttering: “I am f*****.”

Officers found two videos on his home devices taken by putting the camera under cubicle walls.

One showed two women, aged between 16 and 20, in a cubicle in a “midway stage” of undress, and revealed Socha as he adjusted the camera.

The other, one minute clip, showed a naked adult woman.

And 28 still images, with nine different victims, were also uncovered, including one man, seven adult females, and one child in a towel.

“There was no evidence on his home computer or other phones to suggest he had a sexual interest in children, but it is unclear how long he has been using covert tactics to film people,” said Mr Hollett.

“It’s not been possible to identify all the people and where they were filmed.”

The court heard Socha was distraught in police interview, and only spoke to say he had no interest in children, and that he had a sex addiction and needs help.

Rebecca Williams, mitigating, said: “The crown court is able to offer sentences that address the offending behaviour, preventing it from occurring again.

“Custody won’t address the root causes of the offending.”

Socha, 44, of Mansfield Road, Warsop, admitted two counts of voyeurism, when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Friday.

Magistrates decided he needed greater punishment than they could give, and sent him to Nottingham Crown Court, to be sentenced on May 18.