April 2015

Pervert jailed after up-the-skirt photo led police to find 1,400 indecent images of children

Caterham Oxted pool pervert Mark Lewin

 

A pervert has been jailed for more than three years after trying to take a photograph up a nurse’s skirt at Dorking Hospital.

Mark Lewin, 34, of Banstead Road, Caterham, appeared at Guildford Crown Court for sentencing on Tuesday, after admitting 23 counts of possessing indecent images of children, breaching a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) and outraging the public decency.

Prosecuting, Leesha Whawell told the court that on March 26, 2014, when employed by Dorking Hospital, Lewin took out his mobile phone and was witnessed by another member of staff holding it under the skirt of an unsuspecting nurse.

When confronted by a member of staff about his actions, he said: “I know, I have problems,” the court heard.

Miss Whawell said: “He said to the victim, ‘I am sorry, I have never done it before, I was taking a photo up your skirt.’”

Lewin was taken to see the matron of the hospital, ordered to hand over the phone and was sent home from work.

The court heard that later that day, the police attended his address to make sure he was complying with a SOPO he was under.

Officers found almost 1,400 images on his laptop and phone, depicting the sexual abuse of young females by adult males.

Miss Whawell said: “On August 13, 2014, Mr Lewin joined a walking club.

“The leaders of the group were made aware of his previous convictions and, when one of the walkers was shown some photographs on a mobile phone he had, he [Lewin] contacted the police, saying she [the walker] had seen the images which put him in breach of his SOPO.

“That phone was taken by the police and interrogated. The images on the phone form part of the 23-count indictment.”

The court heard that in 2008, Lewin was jailed for 100 weeks after admitting two offences of voyeurism for the purposes of sexual gratification and six of possessing indecent images of youngsters.

Lewin had twice been caught peering over the cubicles at Tandridge Leisure Centre in Oxted , to watch young girls changing.

Defending, Feryal Ertan said: “He has not been given the opportunity to receive any help.

“He does tell me at the moment of committing the offences he was not taking his medication for his mental health and was abusing alcohol, which resulted in him behaving out of control.

“When he was caught with the mobile phone under the skirt of the nurse he did admit what he did and admitted that it was silly.

“He went through a lot as a child. He was subjected to physical abuse and sexual abuse which has had an impact on his life. He wants help, this is a cry for help.

“He would like some assistance with sexual offenders’ treatment, something that will help make him normal. He just wants to be normal. He simply does not want to come back to this court.”

Miss Ertan told the court Lewin entered a civil relationship with a man while in prison.

Sentencing Lewin to 37 months in prison and giving him a 15-year SOPO, Judge Christopher Critchlow said: “You have a history of these sorts of offences. Obviously it was unpleasant for the nurse to experience this.

“I hope that this sentence will give you the opportunity in custody to take advantage of any courses you can, so when you come out of prison, you will not commit any more offences of this nature.”

 

February 2015

Caterham sex pest admits 23 child abuse images offences

A sex pest from Caterham has admitted making almost 1,400 indecent images of children.

Some of the photographs were of toddlers aged less than two years old, Guildford Crown Court heard today.

Mark Lewin, 34, of Banstead Road, admitted 23 separate charges.

He also pleaded guilty to taking an indecent photograph up a nurse’s skirt at Dorking Community Hospital on March 26 last year.

Lewin was remanded in custody for sentencing on April 10 while psychiatric reports are prepared on him.

Judge Christopher Critchlow told him: “The pre-sentence reports will consider the matter of your dangerousness.

“You have a history of these sort of offences.”

Back in 2008 Lewin was jailed for 100 weeks after admitting two offences of voyeurism for the purposes of sexual gratification and six of possessing indecent images of youngsters.

The court at the time heard he was twice caught peering over the cubicles at Tandridge Leisure Centre in Oxted to watch young girls changing.

And in 2011 he was sent to prison for 30 months after filming up two women’s skirts with his mobile phone.

He also admitted 12 counts of making indecent images.

At the time Rupert Hallowes, his defence solicitor, told the court: “This was low-level behaviour by a low-level sex pest

January 2011

Child porn man’s ‘fantasies’ cause concern for judge

A PHONE used by a Caterham “sex-pest” to take a picture up a supermarket shopper’s skirt was then found to contain indecent images of children, a court heard.

After Mark Lewin left the store, the mother, who was with three young children at the time, alerted security staff of his actions, he was pursued, caught and his iPhone seized.

Lewin is set to be released from prison in around nine months despite a judge’s concerns about his “fantasies of a serious nature” and high risk of re-offending.

He appeared at Guildford Crown Court on Friday (January 14) after admitting two counts of outraging the public decency and 12 of making indecent images at earlier hearings in September and November.

The offences relate to an incident which happened in Caterham Tesco at around 3pm on July 6 last year, prosecutor Iestyn Morgan said.

He told the court the woman became aware of the defendant looking at baby wipes on a bottom shelf when she heard the sound of a camera lens shutting.

“She then heard the sound of the camera again,” Mr Morgan said. “She saw the defendant’s hand near her thigh. At the time she was wearing a knee-length skirt.

“It became clear the defendant was attempting to take pictures up her skirt.”

The woman told security guards, who followed Lewin and detained him until police arrived and took his iPhone device.

Mr Morgan added: “On it were found videos that were ‘up-skirt,’ essentially taken up the skirt. None were related to the lady at Tesco.”

Twelve images found on the phone were said to be Level 1 pictures of children, the least serious category of indecent images, the court heard.

Lewin’s previous offending includes unrelated crimes such as possession of a blade and theft, but in 2008 he was convicted of two counts of voyeurism and six of possessing indecent photos of children.

This led to an 84-week jail sentence and Lewin being given a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, and the judge agreed this should now be altered to include a direction that he cannot possess a mobile phone with internet access.

Defending, Rupert Hallowes said that ultimately little harm had been caused by his client’s actions.

“The conduct is the behaviour of a low-level sex pest, if I can put it that way,” Mr Hallowes said.

But the barrister accepted: “There are worrying features to the defendant’s conduct over the last year or so.

“A treatment programme is likely to be the only way for this defendant to reduce his risk of re-offending. He is willing and able to go on a programme. It does appear that he wants help.”

Judge Christopher Critchlow said: “This defendant will concern the courts as to whether or not he is likely to re-offend.

“Although I have my own concerns I do conclude that it would be wrong to make an extended sentence.

In sentencing Lewin, of Banstead Road, the judge told him: “You have been before a court only two years or so ago for these types of offence.

“The public has to be protected from anybody who goes about in this way or in private looks at images of this nature because of the abuse that takes place in the making of these images.”

Lewin was sentenced to 12 months in jail for outraging the public decency and another 18 monthsfor the possession of the indecent images, a total of 30 months. He will serve half of this and was given credit for 190 days already spent in custody.