By Brendan Berry, PA News (25/7/96)
A town centre security camera controller was jailed for two months today after zooming in to spy on women he rang up at telephone boxes.
Ex-soldier Barry Owen, 37, admitted a specimen charge of making an obscene call to a nine-year-old schoolgirl who answered one of the ringing phones in Maesteg, Mid Glamorgan, south Wales.
Owen had a bird's-eye view from his bank of screens in the closed-circuit TV control room, an anti-crime measure introduced by the local council, Bridgend magistrates were told.
He was caught when police and BT engineers traced the call after the youngster complained.
An investigation disclosed that Owen was responsible for nearly 570 calls to 32 different phone boxes in the area, which he made from work and from his home at Rowans Lane, Bryncethin, near Bridgend.
Owen, a married man, was sacked from his job.
John Archard, prosecuting, said Owen admitted making the call to the nine-year-old and similar calls to other girls who he could see near the phone boxes by using the CCTV equipment. Keith Thomas, for Owen, said he "felt intense remorse.
Psychiatric reports clearly showed that the Northern Ireland veteran was suffering post-traumatic stress disorder after his experiences during eight years' Army service, he added.
Magistrates refused an application for bail pending an appeal against the two-month sentence.
Procedures to guard against misuse of the CCTV system had since been "considerably strengthened", Bridgend County Borough Council said later.
"We appreciate the concern that has been raised by this case, which is why we have tightened everything up in consultation with the police.
"We are still confident that the system is a major public benefit, cuts crime and makes streets safer. We also plan to extend it to other towns to help residents there."