Former Leeds soldier who hid spycam in girls' changing room jailed after admitting voyeurism charges

Police found the disturbing footage after they went to John Danbrough's home in Leeds to arrest him on suspicion of possessing indecent child images.

Leeds Crown Court heard West Yorkshire Police officers seized electronic devices from the property in October 2020 and they were taken away for analysis.

Matthew Stewart, prosecuting, said 106 indecent child images were recovered.

The were a further 15,840 images on the devices which were not illegal but indicated that Danbrough had a sexual interest in children.

In addition to the images, officers found "voyeuristic items" which included footage of female children getting changed in the same room.

Mr Stewart said the children were aged between 11 and 15 years old and were unaware of the presence of the camera in the changing room.

Police returned to Danbrough's home on March 3, 2021, to arrest him on suspicion of voyeurism.

His home was searched again and more electronic devices were seized.

They were found to contain a further 16,400 indecent child images.

Danbrough, 66, of St Chads Road, Headingley, admitted using a camcorder to film the children when he was interviewed but refused to comment further.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of voyeurism and one of making indecent images of children.

Christopher Moran, mitigating, said Danbrough filmed children on two occasions and committed the offences following the death of his wife.

Mr Moran said the defendant served in the army and then worked as a postman but had to give up his job to care for his wife when she was diagnosed with cancer.

The barrister said: "To say this affected his character, his outlook and behaviour would be to put it mildly."

Mr Moran said Danbrough had attempted to take his own life after he was arrested, adding: "To say he was ashamed of his actions and the man he had become would be to put it mildly."

Judge Robin Mairs jailed Danbrough for ten months.

He told the defendant: "On two occasions you set up a home camera.

"You filmed young children between 11 and 15 changing their clothes.

"This was not accidental. This was deliberate action by you to set up that camera to film those girls for your own sexual gratification.

"The justice of this case can only be met by an immediate custodial sentence."

Danbrough was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.

He was also ordered go on the sex offender register for ten years.

After the case, Detective Inspector Richard Coulton, of Leeds District Safeguarding Unit, said: “The offending that Darnbrough has been convicted of is highly exploitative by its very nature and will have caused understandable trauma and concern to the victims and their families, all of whom were traced through our enquiries.

“We hope that they can feel some sense of reassurance from knowing that he has now been held to account for his actions.”