Friday 8 December 2017

Starbucks Secret Toilet Camera Perv Avoids Prison

Caught On Camera: Dines
A disgraced church-going pervert, caught filming himself installing a secret voice-activated spy camera in a Starbucks toilet, has avoided jail.

Graduate Antony George Dines, 31, of Shortlands Road, Kingston-upon-Thames claims he suffered low self-esteem after splitting with his girlfriend of four years.

The law firm administrator became isolated, watched legal internet pornography and developed a fetish for watching women urinating.

His public arrest after a Scotland Yard appeal shocked the senior pastor of Dines’ Christian church, Peter Woodcock, who along with the defendant’s work colleagues reported him.

Bespectacled Dines, wearing a light grey v-neck pullover and black trousers, had already pleaded guilty to one count of voyeurism in that on or before November 22, last year he installed equipment in Starbucks and a second count of voyeurism that he recorded a person doing a private act for sexual gratification.

He is also similarly pleaded guilty to two counts of voyeurism in relation to the third-floor ladies toilets at Lyons Davidson Solicitors, 87 Burlington Road, Kingston in that he installed equipment and recorded a person doing a private act for sexual gratification on or before the same date.

Dines' Hidden Camera
He received a twelve-month community order, which includes a 30-day rehabilitation requirement and must complete 200 hours community service work.

Dines must also sign the sex offenders register for five years and pay £85 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.

Staff at the law firm recognised Dines from the appeal and called the police, who also found a quantity of small cameras along with 9 pairs of women’s underwear, tape and a small screwdriver in a rucksack hidden under his desk.

Probation Officer Patrick Acres told the court: “Mr. Dines has a close social stable background and is educated to degree level with a 2:1.

“He was very active in the church, also working as a church administrator.”

Dines split with his girlfriend in 2015. “That was his first girlfriend. They mutually split because they did not see where the relationship was going.

“His self-esteem lowered and he began to be more isolated.

“He says he went through a period of four or six months that was fetishistic and developed this interest in watching women urinate.”

The camera filmed from above. “What you could see was the top of the head. The thrill was from a live action shot and knowing what they were doing.

“Mr. Dines is obviously devastated to be in court. He takes full responsibility and expresses remorse and knows how stupid it was.

Nicked At Work: Dines
“He says he was not thinking straight when he did this and it is my assessment he will never come before a court again.

“The ordeal of these court appearances will make sure that never happens again. 

“He has had all sorts of threats on social media and he’s taken down all his social media. He has been reported in the press and there has been a backlash there as well.”

Prosecutor Mr. Claudius Taylor-Sonko said today: “This case relates to Mr. placing recording devices in Starbucks, Vauxhall and also at his old workplace.”

It was on November 22, last year that media manager Ricci Acari, 34, discovered the camera. 

“A customer at Starbucks went to use the disabled toilet used by both males and females. He noticed a light shining from something in the ceiling grate above him.

“On closer inspection he could see a camera. He made his own investigation and ascertained it was a recording device and told staff at Starbucks and the police were informed.

“The device was looked at by experts and the defendant’s identity was obtained. He was seen fixing the device.”

The court heard Dines filmed himself installing the camera and is recorded with a screwdriver is in his hand fiddling about.

Dines was recorded wiping his footprints clean from the toilet seat and police estimate there were 1-24 recordings of toilet users.

“What the recordings showed were males and females using the toilet, mostly females,” explained Mr. Taylor-Sonko. 

“After the identity of the defendant was known the police made a press release and as a result they were able to find out where the defendant worked.”

Dines was arrested on November 24, this year in front of work colleagues, who had tipped-off police.

He was questioned twice and admitted installing the Starbucks camera in February, 2016 having removed it from a female toilet at his workplace, where he had hidden it in a light fitting.

He remained in Starbucks and enjoyed a coffee after installing the camera. “He placed the camera for sexual gratification, he said he had a fetish for watching women urinate.”

The workplace camera was installed for similar thrills. “He said he did this to film women using the toilet for his sexual gratification.

“He placed it in a light fixture after removing a ceiling tile and placed it in the third-floor toilet because there were more women on the third floor.”  

Dines was a Facilities and General Office Assistant, employed by the New Malden firm and was responsible for health and safety compliance and environmental management.

He is a graduate of Kingston University with a degree in Human Resource Management.

He formerly worked at Kingston Business School and at Cornerstone Church, Kingston as an administrator.

He is an active Christian in the south-west London area and continues to be a regular and speaker at Cornerstone Church.

In a letter to the court Pastor Woodcock wrote: “Obviously it was distressing to hear of Antony’s degrading behaviour.

“I immediately called the police to report that I knew him, but he was already in custody.”

The pastor said he knew Dines for a decade and had seen him volunteer as a cleaner and painter and decorator.

“I’ve spoken to him on the phoned sense the shame he feels as well as relief,” concluded the pastor.

Dines has now moved to his parents home in Andover, Hampshire and will have to report himself to local police.

The court also heard that when his home was searched a large quantity of mini-cameras, memory sticks and other media storage devices were seized.

Dines claimed the underwear was his girlfriend’s, but produced no evidence to back this up and police also found two mini-cameras disguised as car keys.

He had bought most of the equipment online at Amazon.

He said he had the rucksack full of cameras with him because he was aware of the press release with his image on it and intended to throw away the items. 

Dines describes himself as “reliable, hard-working and flexible” on his online professional profile.

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