A gym worker in Wythenshawe, Manchester, caught a man secretly recording people, including children, as they got dressed in changing room cubicles. Daniel Michalowski, 45, filmed up to 12 women, one man and a child over a three-month period by placing his phone under cubicle doors.
The incident came to light when a staff member at the gym spotted a phone filming in his cubicle. The employee asked to see Michalowski's phone and did not find any images of himself, but police were called after the man said he "didn't know" what the deleted folder was.
Court hears details of the offences
Manchester Crown Court heard that Michalowski had also made a number of online searches for voyeurism on pornography sites. Lawrence Rainford, prosecuting, told the court that earlier this year, the male staff member finished his shift at 9pm and met his partner before they went to get changed in the unisex changing rooms.
Rainford said: "He noticed the presence of a phone from the adjoining cubicle being withdrawn. He took the decision to knock on the door and confront the individual."
The worker saw the 45-year-old and asked to see his phone but did not see any images of himself. The employee then asked the man to show his deleted folder but Michalowski claimed he "didn't know what this meant", according to Manchester Evening News.
Arrest and discovery of videos
Michalowski gave the man a fake name and left the changing room but was stopped by security staff before police arrived. Officers spoke to Michalowski and asked to view his deleted folder, discovering a video of a woman getting dressed, filmed with his phone under the cubicle.
The 45-year-old was arrested, and police discovered 19 videos that were "voyeuristic in nature", capturing 13 separate victims in various stages of undress, during an analysis of his phone. The court heard some of these were videos of naked women and one was a minute-long video of a child.
The prosecutor told the court: "The videos showed the victims in various stages of undress, and in some cases there were multiple videos of the same victim." Michalowski admitted to recording the videos in a police interview but denied they were for sexual gratification, instead claiming he filmed "out of curiosity".
Sentencing and victim impact
Michalowski, who had previously pleaded guilty to offences of voyeurism and taking an indecent photo of a child, was handed a suspended jail term on Monday, August 24.
Manchester Crown Court heard a statement from a victim who said she had previously been the subject of voyeurism when she was a child. She said: "Since then, I don't use cubicles by myself. For this to happen again is awful - I just want justice."
The mum of the child filmed by Michalowski told the court she and the child's dad decided not to tell their child what happened as it would "destroy their love for their sport".
Damian Zelazowski, defending, said: "The defendant has acknowledged there was excitement in what he has done. He has undertaken counselling which is looking at the reasons for his offending."
Sentencing, Recorder Sophie Cartwright said: "Members of the public should be able to enjoy hobbies and get dressed afterwards without the risk of sexually motivated offending."
Michalowski, of Wythenshawe, was also told to complete the Building Choices programme, 10 days of rehabilitation activity requirements and 100 hours unpaid work. He was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and must sign onto the Sex Offenders Register, both for 10 years.
