Aaron Stewart Lean, 35, of Springfields, Bugle, in St Austell appeared at Truro Crown Court on Friday April 29 on two charges of voyeurism and five charges of making indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child.

The offences took place at between 2018 and 2020 at a hotel in St Austell where Lean had worked.

The court heard how Lean had cut a small hole out of a bin in the hotel’s ladies toilets and placed it in such a way to capture images of the private parts of those using the facilities.

Examination of the device suggested that it had been in place for some time, and one member of staff was said to have recognised a hair cut they’d had a couple of years ago.

The manager of the hotel had contacted the police on February 24 2020 after finding the ‘spy pen.’

Police attended Lean’s home the following day and seized a number of devices, including phones, and found hundreds of indecent images of which 187 were Category A – the most serious category, with hundreds in the remaining two Categories

It was also stated in court that the youngest victim included in these images was a four year-old child.

Evidence suggested that Lean had also deleted some of the files, which included a colleague at the hotel, and forensic cleaning software was also found.

Police attended Lean’s address again on 24 March last year after evidence came to light that Lean was accessing indecent material through file sharing sites.

On this occasion, Lean had hidden another two phones in his partner’s clothes.

Further Cat A, B & C images were found on the devices.

When interviewed by police about the matter, Lean answered no comment.

Before handing down a sentence to Lean, Judge Stephen Carr told him: “Between 2018 and 2020, you were employed in a local hotel.

“You took the opportunity to place a spy camera in the ladies toilets.

“You did so by hollowing a bin in such a way to take photos of their anuses and vaginas.

“You did so for a number of years.

“The effect on those who are filmed in this way is devastating.

“The idea that a work colleague is filming them in that way is devastating.

“When phones were seized, a significant amount of child sexual abuse images was found.

“This was deliberate offending for sexual gratification.

“I do not think there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.”

Lean was sentenced to a total of 26 months imprisonment and will be placed upon the sex offenders register.