A man has been placed on the sex offenders register after he was caught filming women and girls in supermarket changing rooms in a UK town. The 49-year-old, identified as Darren Cox from Lanark Road, Carstairs, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court this week, where he admitted to filming females at Sainsbury's in Hamilton and other unknown locations between February and April 2024.
The disturbing incident came to light when a female shopper noticed a phone placed on top of the cubicle she was changing in. She confronted Cox, and police were called. Upon reviewing CCTV footage from the supermarket, officers observed Cox entering a fitting room carrying two pairs of trousers and two t-shirts, with the woman then entering the adjacent cubicle.
Police seized Cox's phone and discovered 20 videos of adult women in a state of undress in fitting rooms. Additionally, one video showed a girl believed to be between 10 and 12 years old as she changed in a cubicle. Prosecutor Kevin Morrow stated that none of the victims have been identified, apart from the woman who caught him.
During police questioning, Cox was described as "tearful" and apologetic. He admitted to watching and filming people in changing areas but claimed he did not know the girl was so young and deleted that video as soon as he realized. He told police he had been "flaming stupid" and wanted to apologize. He also mentioned that his wife had been going through a "horrendous" time and he had been her carer.
Sheriff Liam Murphy noted that the woman who caught Cox had felt a "significant" impact from the incident, as revealed in a submitted statement. The sheriff warned Cox: "Be under no illusion, you have pleaded guilty to a serious offence." Sentence was deferred until next month for background reports, an electronic tagging assessment, and a risk assessment.
