The Public Prosecution Service (OM) demanded a two-year prison sentence on Thursday for a 50-year-old man from Tiel, of which one year is conditional. He is suspected of secretly recording guests in an apartment he rented out in Den Bosch.
The case came to light in mid-August last year when the landlord of the apartment discovered cameras hidden behind the mirror in her bedroom and bathroom. When the police conducted further investigations, they found several hidden cameras. This included phones mounted on the back of a mirror in the bathroom with the camera aimed at the shower and a phone in the ceiling lamp above the bed with the camera directed down at the bed.
Data erased
The suspect was arrested on the same day. The prosecutor highlighted today, among other things, the attitude of the suspect. During police interrogations, but also in court, he provided no or only partial answers to important questions. He denies having the intention to produce sexually explicit material and claims that the fact he erased his phone on the day of the discovery was purely coincidental. A narrative that the OM does not believe. Moreover, the investigation shows that the man, an experienced IT professional, operated in a very sophisticated manner and was able to view images multiple times. The investigation indicates that he frequently accessed the relevant camera setup online via his own tablet during the rental period to the victim.
Severity
All phones had a view of places where it was likely that nude or sexual images of the complainant could be made: It is a well-known fact that someone goes naked at home in the shower and can have sex in their own bed, which was also shown to have happened, says the prosecutor in court. The prosecutor emphasized the seriousness of the case on Thursday in court and stressed that this case is about much more than just the violation of an individuals privacy: It undermines the fundamental trust that a person should have in their own home, in the safety of their own four walls. It is precisely that trust that the suspect has grossly abused.
The OM demands a prison sentence of 24 months against the man, of which 12 months are conditional. The court will make a ruling in 2 weeks.