A MAN has pleaded guilty to committing an offence of voyeurism by placing his mobile phone in a toilet to record a teenage girl.

Benjamin Edward Woolley, aged 40, accepted he did this for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification by seeing the child doing a private act.

Woolley, who gave his address as Wills Road, Swanage, appeared in the dock at Poole Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, December 1.

The court heard the offence related to an incident in Swanage, which took place back in March.

Prosecuting, Victoria Hill told the court: “The act concerned placing his mobile phone in a toilet on record.”

Ms Hill said Woolley put the phone there for the purpose of recording the girl, who was known to him, doing a private act.

After discovering the defendant’s mobile, the complainant left the premises almost straightaway, the court heard.

The prosecutor said the girl told police she was “very scared”.

The court heard Woolley accepted that he did have an interest in the girl and he had previously bought her alcohol.

The defendant pleaded guilty to a single charge of voyeurism, which is an offence under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

In her submissions on behalf of the crown, Ms Hill said the starting point for the offence was a high-level community order, with a range from a medium-level community order to 26 weeks’ imprisonment.

Kate Green, representing Woolley, said the defendant currently worked as a delivery driver.

She asked the bench to request a pre-sentence report from the probation service, which would also consider the terms of a sexual harm prevention order being sought by the crown.

Magistrates adjourned the case for sentencing to take place on January 18. They ordered that the probation service prepare a report for that hearing.

Woolley was remanded on unconditional bail.