A brilliant celebrity photographer has lost his career and freedom for a series of sordid sex attacks on half-naked young models at his studio during casting shoots.
Devon-born Lee Cropper, 31, saw his career rocket after moving to London from Plymouth six years ago and was one of actress Sadie Frost's favourite photographers.
He also took portraits of actress Billie Piper and his work adorned the front cover of Vogue magazine even though he had no formal training in the profession.
He was jailed for thirty-three months at Wood Green Crown Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a 24 year-old model on September 14, last year and two 22 year-olds on May 11, this year.
Between those attacks Cropper, who lived and worked at Omega Works, Hermitage Road, Haringey, North London, (pictured) received a supervision order for another sexual assault on a model in her twenties.
The victims were dazzled by his glossy portfolio of celebrity shots and felt they could not object to such a successful and well-connected photographer's creepy suggestions.
Prosecutor Miss Sandy Canavan told the court Cropper - nicknamed 'The Mofo' - booked ambitious models via an agency and used a different email address when he was blacklisted, following complaints.
A total of five models made statements to police and more serious charges of rape, attempted rape and two more sexual assaults were dropped.
"The defendant knew what the position was. He was a successful photographer, he had a successful career taking portraits of a large amount of famous models," explained Miss Canavan.
"It was clear early on they were not legitimate casting sessions, rather an opportunity for the defendant to sexually assault the victims."
The first model, who Cropper claimed was testing for ID magazine, described his studio as "looking dodgy" and the defendant as "red-eyed and hyper-active."
"He pulled his trousers down and said: 'I'm a pervert. Is that all right with you?' and said if she got naked he could take some really good photographs," explained Miss Canavan.
"He wanted her to play with his penis and because she was scared she masturbated him."
The woman fled as a second model arrived and immediately called police. "The officer dismissed her allegations without proper investigation and the defendant was free to offend again."
Canavan received the community order for fondling a model responding to a 'tasteful nudes' shoot, who was "reassured" by his portfolio of famous faces.
He encouraged the young woman to play with herself. "The defendant then grabbed her and quickly moved up to her breasts."
Canavan finally asked for two topless models comfortable with kissing each other and separately assaulted them, stroking the first's nipple and face and forcing his thumb into her mouth.
"He put her hand on his penis and asked her to rub it," added the prosecutor. "He then started to masturbate himself and she describes herself as being terrified."
The second girl was similarly abused. "He asked her to put her hands on his legs, telling her to rub his legs and started pointing to his crotch."
Miss Louise Sweet, defending, said: "His career as a photographer is over. There is no way he can go back to it. It is a small community.
"He is a man from humble beginnings and when he came to London had an admin job in the City and it was only the loan of a digital camera from a friend that convinced him he may have a talent."
After publishing his first photos on Myspace, Cropper's career took off and he was being commissioned within six months.
"He could not cope and he was not used to being exposed to fame and famous people and maybe felt insecure in that world and began to drink because he could not cope with the pressure of the job," added the lawyer.
Judge Shaun Lyons said: "These are not fleeting offences. There is a degree of insistence and persistence in each case and an abuse of trust and authority.
"They are willing and anxious to do as photographers wish, that is the abuse of authority.
"Any naked person is always at a disadvantage to the clothed."
Cropper was placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely; was banned from working with children and vulnerable adults; forfeited his camera, computer and photographs of the victims and was made subject to an indefinite Sexual Offenders Prevention Order.
At the peak of Cropper's career Sadie Frost said: "Mofo has taken some of my favourite pictures for both my company and myself. He has an edge over most with his gritty, cheeky and cool style."
5 comments:
sorry but 'pressure of the job' - absolute crap, after he abused the first girl he pleded with her not to tell anyone and just a few minutes later with the knowledge of how much he upset the first girl, did it again, not even the next day, with in the hour. He's calculated and abused his positon and their trust for his own disgusting desires. If he was out on the streets he would have carried on abusing models. It had nothing to do with alcohol or any other excuses his lawyer managaed to muster he is simply a disgrace who always tried to use his position to take advantage of vulnerable models just trying to do their job. Because he's a photographer that just makes it worse because he has a duty to look after his models and one of the girls was 18 not 22
The guy is an asshole and not a nice character at all.
I did some work for him once and he never paid me.
I feel really sorry for the girls he abused. When I heard he had been jailed for this it didn't surprise me at all. I think he was just a cheap pornographer really and technically a poor photographer as well. I hope he isn't allowed to work as a photographer ever again after this.
Im glad he has finally got what he deserves, I unfortunately knew him before he moved to london and pressure of hitting it big is a complete load of bollocks as he has always been like, he could never keep it in his pants, and I wish I never introduced my kids to him! He's a disgusting excuse for a human being!
Having been unlucky enough to know him also I can only agree that he is a danger to women and a manipulative, self-serving scum-bag. I had to get a harassment order put against him and was called to questioning when it all kicked off, which was in itself a 2nd ordeal. (Not that the statement was an order, as the police were really kind, but in having to remember that he existed and recalling a very difficult time in my life)
In my opinion he suffers from some sort of personality disorder with a deep inset hatred of women. I doubt he feels any remorse for what he did, only that he got caught.
A bad man.
I met this guy in 2005, when he had an office job. we went out for about 3 weeks, he was a weirdo. he was the most charming individual at the start, then just turned nasty.he was a pervert then, he was mental!
He also told me he spent the previous summer in Ibiza, without any money so could not afford a hotel, so he went to the clubs every night and picked up girls who just arrived for their holidays and had their own hotel room. That´s how he lived, a dirty little scumbag.
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