A MAN who filmed women getting changed in a leisure centre cubicle has appeared before Truro magistrates.

Paul David Andrews, aged 24, was found to have 20 videos on his mobile phone after he was arrested by police.

Prosecutor Chris Rendell explained that Andrews was caught after filming a female victim changing in a cubicle at Penzance Leisure Centre on November 20 last year.

She had been in a towel after swimming and took it off in the cubicle, before finding a mobile phone pointing up at her.

She ran out of the cubicle and saw Andrews, of Foundry Square, Hayle, running off.

She chased after him until they reached the communal area of the centre, at which point staff took over and detained him.

Police were called and when he was arrested he said "I've been stupid".

An investigation of his phone revealed 20 videos which had taken between November 13 and November 20 last year. All of the videos were filmed from the same cubicle, the large majority of which featured women who were naked.

Andrews said he had seen the victim swimming in the pool and "made the decision to film her", said Mr Rendell, who added that he had filmed them "for his own pleasure".

When asked by police how he thought the victim would feel, Andrews said she would feel "assaulted, but not physically".

Mr Rendell said the victim had been deeply affected by the offence and had not yet returned to the leisure centre, despite swimming four times a week prior to the incident.

He said she felt "distressed and cringey" at her reaction to chase after him and had not been able to go back.

She was also concerned about seeing Andrews again, in case he recognised her and did something else.

"I will return to the pool because I've decided that I don't want the incident to control my life," she told police in interview.

Patrick Haynes, defending Andrews, said that he was an offshore surveyor who spent long periods of time away from home, working on oil rigs.

He said he worked in a male environment which had pornography on site and he had become "caught up in that type of atmosphere".

He said the offence had been "creeping up" on Andrews and the time came when he thought "what on earth am I doing"?

"There was a creeping realisation as to the mess he was getting into," said Mr Haynes.

Since the charge of voyeurism had been made, Andrews, who pleaded guilty to the offence, has paid to attend ten counselling sessions in Camborne.

He was fined £742 by magistrates and ordered to pay £85 costs and £74 victim surcharge. He was also ordered to pay the victim £500 compensation.

Andrews was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for five years.

It prohibits him from having a device capable of downloading or making images; he must disclose the creation of any images to police within three days; and he is banned from going into Penzance and Carn Brea leisure centres.

He must also sign the sex offenders' register within three days.