Latest news with #voyeurism
BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
New Zealand PM's staff accused of secretly filming women resigns
A member of New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's staff has resigned after being accused of secretly taking photos and videos of women, and recording audio of sex Forbes, Luxon's deputy chief press secretary, offered his "sincerest apologies to the women I have harmed".The allegations came to light after a sex worker said she noticed that Forbes' phone had been recording audio while he was in the shower, local news website Stuff reported earlier this phone was later found to contain more photos and videos of women as well as audio recordings of his sexual encounters. There were images of women at the gym and in the supermarket, Stuff NZ reported, as well as four videos of women in their homes, with the footage apparently taken from a said Forbes' case came as an "absolute shock" and that he had "zero tolerance for any behaviour that makes women or anyone feel unsafe"."My sympathy is with the women who raised these allegations and who were made to feel unsafe due to the actions of this person," he said on Thursday, a day after Forbes along with other political leaders, have signalled an openness to changing privacy laws to better protect targets of said they received a complaint from a Wellington brothel last July about photos found on a client's phone, but ultimately decided the case did not meet the threshold for to the Stuff report, Forbes' encounter with the sex worker in Wellington happened in July 2024. Forbes reportedly gave the sex worker his phone password after being confronted with the secret audio recording. The woman, together with other sex workers, then found multiple audio recordings of similar sessions, as well as photos and video in the that time, Forbes was the press secretary to social development minister Louise Upston. He became the acting deputy press secretary to Luxon in and Luxon said they had not known about the complaint against Forbes, who said in a statement he was "was in a downward spiral due to unresolved trauma and stress" at the time of the incident. He said he has since sought professional help, but acknowledged what he had "failed to do then was make a genuine attempt to apologise".Luxon on Thursday called for a review of "inter-agency processes" after police chief Richard Chambers said the authorities had known about an investigation into Forbes last July but did not flag it to ministers."We have to take this incident and understand what has happened here and how it happened, and what more can we do about it," Luxon said.
CBC
a day ago
- CBC
Hay River, N.W.T., man facing sex-related charges testifies at trial
WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it. A Hay River, N.W.T., man facing sex charges testified in his own defence in a Yellowknife courtroom on Wednesday. Justin Minute, 39, has pleaded not guilty to child luring, voyeurism and sexual assault. The trial before N.W.T Supreme Court Justice Karin L.E Taylor was in its third day. Minute told the court that he was "blown away by the accusations" made against him by the complainant in the case, and said he didn't know what was behind them. Earlier this week, the complainant, who was underage at time of the alleged incidents in 2018 and 2019, testified that she saw Minute's phone in a bathroom, pointed at the shower. She said he also made sexual jokes and touched her around her waist inappropriately. Her identity is protected by a publication ban. Minute told the court on Wednesday that he once accidentally forgot his phone in a bathroom, then used his watch's camera button to see where the phone was. He said he saw the shower on his watch, but no one was there. He said he never spied on the complainant. The accusations first came to light in February 2020 to the Hay River RCMP. The court heard that the police didn't recover any of the alleged bathroom recordings on Minute's phone or watch. Two of Minute's former partners also testified this week. They both told the court that Minute confessed to them that he did all of the things he's accused of. Some text messages and transcripts of phone recordings from Minute to his former partners were also read out in court. In one, Minute says he "should be in jail," and in another he says, "I feel like a bad person for the things I have done." In court Wednesday, Minute said there was a lot of miscommunication, and that he never confessed to any of the allegations. He agreed that some of the messages seemed like admissions of guilt, but he claimed he was frustrated at the time, and emotionally overwhelmed by the shame of being accused. He said his words did not come out as clearly as he intended at the time and that he had a hard time articulating his thoughts. "[She] confused shame with guilt," Minute said, referring to one of his ex-partners. In his cross examination, Crown prosecutor Morgan Fane said that a lot of Minute's testimony involved him saying he was misinterpreted, while the evidence sounded like a confession. Minute told the court the charges have affected him professionally and personally. He said he was employed as a case worker at the Hay River jail, and after he was charged he was reassigned. Minute said the charges have also affected his mental health, and that he had attempted suicide twice. Minute was the last witness to testify at the trial. Lawyers for both sides will give their closing arguments Thursday.
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Ex-hospital consultant bailed by court on indecent images and voyeurism charges
A former hospital consultant has appeared in court charged with voyeurism, attempting to incite a teenage girl to engage in sexual activity, and making indecent images of children. Dr Matthew Isles, who worked as an ear, nose and throat specialist prior to his arrest in February this year, spoke only to confirm his personal details during a brief hearing at North Staffordshire Justice Centre on Wednesday. The 53-year-old, of Whiston, near Cheadle, Staffordshire, was not asked to enter any pleas at the request of his lawyer and was granted conditional bail to appear at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on June 16. The hearing was told that 13 new charges faced by Isles, who worked at the Royal Stoke University Hospital and County Hospital, Stafford, would be joined with similar allegations already being dealt with at the Crown Court. The latest charges, read into the court record by the magistrates' clerk, include one of attempting to incite a 15-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity. Wearing a dark suit and a blue striped tie, Isles appeared before three magistrates further charged with possessing extreme pornographic images portraying sex acts involving a person and live animals, three counts of distributing indecent images of children via messaging apps and one of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. Magistrates were told the former medic is also charged with observing a person doing a private act in 2023 for sexual gratification by recording them without consent, three counts of making indecent images of a child, one of possessing prohibited images of a child, and one of possessing extreme pornographic images 'portraying an act likely to result in serious injury to person's private parts'. The remaining new charge faced by Isles alleges that he was in possession of a 'paedophile manual movie' in February this year at Whiston 'which contained advice or guidance' about sexual abuse. The University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) said in February that it was fully co-operating with the police in their investigation but it could not comment on an active criminal case. The Trust has since confirmed that Isles is no longer one of its employees.
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Former Stoke consultant in court over multiple child sex offences
A former hospital consultant has appeared in court charged with voyeurism, attempting to incite a teenage girl to engage in sexual activity, and making indecent images of Matthew Isles worked at the Royal Stoke University Hospital and County Hospital in Stafford as an ear, nose and throat specialist before his arrest in 53-year-old, of Whiston, near Cheadle, Staffordshire, was told at the North Staffordshire Justice Centre hearing that 13 new charges would be joined with similar allegations already being dealt with at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on 16 University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) confirmed Mr Isles was no longer an employee. He is further charged with attempting to incite a 15-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity, possessing extreme pornographic images portraying sex acts involving a person and live animals, three counts of distributing indecent images of children via messaging apps, and one of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a were told on Wednesday that the former medic was also charged with observing a person doing a private act in 2023 for sexual gratification by recording them without consent, three counts of making indecent images of a child, one of possessing prohibited images of a child, and one of possessing extreme pornographic images "portraying an act likely to result in serious injury to person's private parts".The remaining new charge alleges that he was in possession of a "paedophile manual movie" in February this year at Whiston "which contained advice or guidance" about sexual Isles was granted conditional bail to appear at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court next hospital trust has said it was fully cooperating with police in the investigation. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
CBC
3 days ago
- General
- CBC
Trial begins for a Hay River, N.W.T., man facing sex-related charges
WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it. A trial began Monday in a Yellowknife courtroom for a Hay River, N.W.T., man facing several sex-related charges. 39-year-old Justin Minute is accused of voyeurism, sexual assault, and child luring. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The charges are related to incidents that allegedly happened in Hay River and Fort Smith in 2018 and 2019. In February 2023, the RCMP arrested and charged Minute. According to court records, Minute had also been charged with voyeurism in January 2020, but that charge was later dropped. At the time of the alleged offences, Minute was working as a case manager at the South Mackenzie Correctional Centre in Hay River. There is no suggestion that the allegations are connected to his work. The charges are related to one alleged victim, who was the first person to testify at the judge-only trial. The woman's identity is protected by a court-ordered publication ban. The complainant told the court about an incident where she found Minute's phone in a bathroom, pointed at the toilet and with the camera application open. She also described other alleged incidents of inappropriate touching, sexual jokes, and text messages by Minute which had pictures of her. A teenager at the time, she said the incidents made her feel uncomfortable around Minute. She first brought the allegations to the Hay River RCMP in February 2020, and again in September 2022. Minute was arrested in 2023. During cross examination in N.W.T. Supreme Court on Monday, Minute's lawyer Evan McIntyre noted how many times Minute's accuser began her testimony with "I think," and implied it would be difficult to remember details from years ago. McIntyre also pointed out that when the complainant spoke to the RCMP, she said she did not think the phone camera in the bathroom was recording. McIntyre added that the complainant's first statement to police in 2020 only mentioned the bathroom allegation, and not any other inappropriate incidents. Her 2022 statement to police included more details about the other alleged incidents. The complainant told the court on Monday that she wasn't sure at first whether certain behaviours would have counted as inappropriate, and that's why she didn't mention them until her later statement to police. The trial continues Tuesday.
