An office clerk caught spying on workmates using the toilet has been spared jail after he blamed his lurid behaviour on being a victim of staff ‘bullying’.
Andrew Cox, 38, who is engaged to be married, rigged a mobile phone in the staff lavatory so he could film fellow workers taking comfort breaks and taped one man twice during two hours of recording.
Police were called after one of the employees at a rental company in Cheshire found the hidden phone and noticed it had been set to record.
Cox was identified as the footage also included him setting the video up and hiding the phone under a rag.
Officers subsequently seized his mobile phones and laptop and found a ‘substantial’ amount of messages and video relating to the illicit recordings.
They also found five images of extreme pornography involving men and women having sex with animals.
At Chester Magistrates’ Court Cox pleaded guilty to two charges of voyeurism and one charge of possession of extreme pornography.
He faced a maximum sentence of up to 18 months’ imprisonment but walked free after receiving a 15-week suspended term.
In mitigation, Cox after claiming he had become ‘introverted’ after being bullied both and at school and by work colleagues.
He claimed the bestiality images had been shared by his manager and on a workplace WhatsApp group.
Cox arrived at court with his mother who watched proceedings from the public gallery.
The court heard police began their investigation in March 2024 when a staff member at the company – which cannot be named – found a mobile phone set to record under a rag in one of the toilet cubicles.
Heather Bell, prosecuting, said: ‘He found the phone recording and unlocked. A colleagues played back the recording and found Andrew Cox placing the phone in situ.’
The court heard one man was recorded in intimate detail using the toilet.
Ms Bell said: ‘The defendant was arrested on the next occasion he returned to the workplace and two mobile phones and a laptop were seized.
‘Whilst in custody the defendant made a full confession saying: ‘It was me’. He was also found in possession of five extreme pornographic videos, males and females engaging in sexual activity with animals.’
She added: ‘In addition there was a substantial amount of evidence in messages and videos in relation to the offence of voyeurism. This was not an isolated incident. It happened on multiple occasions.’
Joanne Black, defending Cox, said he was ‘highly mortified and ashamed’.
She said: ‘He does not seek to take anything away from this offending. But he had quite a difficult time in terms of bullying from school, very extensive bullying and there was the tragic death of his sister at the age of 17 and he now recognises that has had an effect on him growing up.
‘When he joined this firm in 2013, it seemed to be going well but he started to experience bullying in that workplace as well.
‘He feels that all of this has led to him being very introverted, not going out and following and looking on social media and things online.
‘That developed to the situation and the problem with voyeurism. He said it was a relief when he was arrested.’
She added: ‘Three of extreme pornography videos were sent to him by his manager, one was sent on a group chat and the other by a friend.
‘He said: ‘I was not interested.’ but it puts you in a very awkward position when the manager sends you something of that nature.’
District Judge Ian Barnes told him: ‘You clearly have a niche sexual interest regarding videoing people involved in a private act.
‘You betrayed the trust of colleagues. I am sure they felt sick and violated that they were being filmed whilst using the toilet.’
As well as the suspended sentence, Cox, of Acrefair, near Wrexham, North Wales, was also ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work, 20 days of rehabilitation activity and pay £454 in costs and a surcharge.
He must sign on the Sex Offenders’ Register for seven years.
