Eye man jailed for using covert cameras at Diss Leisure centre
A man was jailed for various offences under the computer misuse act yesterday (January 30), including hacking into the iCloud accounts of multiple people and sharing their private photographs online with others.
Tony Spencer, 38, of Victoria Hill, Eye, was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court, among the offences was also that he used covert cameras to film women and young children getting changed at a leisure centre in Norfolk.
He received a total of 32 months immediate custodial sentence for nine counts of voyeurism, five counts of taking an indecent photographs of a child and 12 counts of Computer Misuse Act (Hacking) Offences. He was put on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and was given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years.
Spencer previously admitted the offences at Basildon Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, September 19, last year.
In 2017, Essex Cyber Crime Team discovered that Spencer had accessed iCloud accounts without the owner’s consent and during several searches of his home found computer equipment containing the victims' pictures as well as software used to access these accounts. Twelve victims were identified and they were informed.
There were also recordings made at Diss Leisure Centre, believed to be between 2006 and 2011, where he secretly filmed young women and children getting changed in the changing rooms.
Of these recordings police were able to identify seven of the victims and inform them of his actions.
Detective Sergeant Ian Collins, of Essex Police's Cyber Crime Team said: “Spencer is a sexual predator who has now been brought to justice for his actions.
"The victims have been through an extremely distressing and emotional time throughout this investigation and can now have some justice with Spencer being prosecuted and placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for life, which will also acts as a deterrent for other offenders.
"His secret lifestyle went hidden for many years until we received just a single report that revealed much, much more.
“This case highlights the importance of using two-factor authentication (2FA) on your online accounts. Spencer was not able to access any accounts secured with 2FA as he would have needed the mobile phone of the victims at the same time."
This investigation is part of a larger Essex Police investigation involving a number of suspects across the country found to be hacking into hundreds of iCloud accounts.
It started after a victim from Grays reported her iCloud account being hacked and her personal intimate pictures posted online.
Two other offenders have already been convicted for iCloud hacking with Craig Steinberg, 33, of Lily Street, Sunderland, jailed in March 2018 for 34 months for 14 counts of Computer Misuse Act Offences and Dominik James, 33, of Beehive way, Stevenage, jailed for eight months for five counts of Computer Misuse Act Offences.
