This time last year on a Bank Holiday Monday, I went swimming in the local swimming baths at York Halls in Bethnal Green - as I do three times a week.
After tearing up the pool with a few lengths of crawl, I emerged and went to the changing rooms. Standing in the cubicle I looked down at my wrinkly feet and cycling rucksack on the floor....but was just a little surprised, when I saw what appeared to be a naked, upturned 'eye' come sliding towards me, floating under the partition - like a lone globed eyeball, eyeing me up suspiciously...it took a few seconds before I realised that I was looking at an upturned digital camera...
I smirked downwards, puzzled and faintly amused. Aha, I thought, bound to be some kid pulling a prank and up to no good....so I stood, naked on the seat and took a look over the partition. Imagine my surprise when I saw the top of a young man's head. Even from that angle I could tell that he must have been about 21 or so and surprisingly, quite fit and in good shape - not your stereotypical idea of a sad sex criminal. From above I could see that he was flicking through the images on his digital camera. I panicked slightly...and went into a cold sweat...mind racing, wondering what to do, how long had he been in there, had he been there all day? was he photographing children or just adults? Should I shout out a loud warning to everyone else in the changing room or should I simply run to reception and get them to call the fuzz? After all, Bethnal Green Police station was only 100 yds away, across the road.
Suddenly, I had a plan. Fumbling around for my mobile phone in my jacket pocket, I jumped up on the seat and called down to the unsuspecting rascal...startled, he glanced up at me, red-faced. Click! "Snap, gotcha" I shouted at him..."You've been 'ad mate."
And with that I ran out of the changing rooms to call the Police....
The Moral of the Story is....always take a camera with you when you go out...you never know when it might come in handy.
8 comments:
lol.
Was he arrested then?
I bet he won't be bsck whatever happens...
Hi there...
yes, I thought people might want to know what happened next as I left the end of the story blank. Was thinking of writing an epilogue to let people know how things turned out though.
Well, to answer your question the funny thing was that as this bloke ran out of the changing rooms behind me(I ran ahead of him to warn the staff on reception), he pushed me to one side and bounded over the ticket barrier. But I'd had the sense to call out to the guy on reception to get a good look at the mug's face..which he did...turned out he went to school with the bloke back in the day..and he remembered his first name. What are the chances of that happening?
Well, the Police went to his old school and checked the records...they found him in the old schoolbook and from that were able to trace his address. They then paid him a visit. He lived at home with his grandparents...and weirdly, had no camera equipment or working computer equipment at home which they could raid or remove to test, as evidence. There was only one old Amstrad festering in a corner which looked like it hadn't been used for nigh on 20 yrs. Perhaps he'd already disposed of the equipment though, or else he could have borrowed it from a mate or some one else he was consorting with.
In any case...turned out he'd been made redundant last Summer, which might have explained why he'd been hanging around with no work and possibly looking in desperation for other ways to make a dime or two. Who knows.
Without the necessary evidence the Police could only warn him but they couldn't convict him, sadly...
Strangely though, after they'd paid him a visit to his house, he called the station..and the officer on the case thinks that the guy may have been phoning to make confession as suspects rarely take the initiative and call the Police, unless they're looking to get something off their chest.
I've not heard any more since, but my guess is that he was the guilty culprit and hopefully, we may have stopped him from committing any more offences of this kind. It was, with any luck, a first offence and my reporting it may have made him think twice about doing anything of that kind again.
J
So, the Police were able to
Thanks for the update.
I've added you to my favourites.
I hope you don't mind.
Hey Terry. Of course I don't mind if you add me as one of your favourite blogs. I'd be honoured! I've not been blogging for very long at all, so it's encouraging to get positive feedback like yours. Thanks! I liked the tales of your travels as well...and your domestic life chaos with the family at home. It's like a window in on another world, like being inside some one else's head for a bit, living their life experience. If only we could bottle it, we'd sell it wouldn't we!!
JP
ugh how creepy...
Yes, it was rather...
eek! hope he didn't post it on voyeur web.com. Sick f***. Sorry you had to go through that.
I can tell you all that the offending character has now been arrested, charged and put in prison for a couple of years...so he's less of a threat to joe public - at least for the time being. I felt sad about this until the police officer involved told me about the other offences he'd committed, assaulting women and children on the underground. It beggars belief. Apparently my testimony ensured that he was given an extra 3 months or so inside. So it was worth doing.
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