Police officer 'used iPhone to film naked female colleague showering in next cubicle'

A Gloucestershire police officer allegedly used a waterproof iPhone to secretly film a naked female colleague showering in a unisex changing room in police headquarters after a gym workout.

PC Jonathan Eaton, 32, is accused of attempting to observe and record the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, while pretending to wash in the cubicle next to her.

Prosecutors told Newport Crown Court the alleged incident occurred at the unisex changing rooms of Gloucestershire Constabulary’s headquarters in Waterwells, Quedgeley on February 27, 2019.

After the female officer challenged Eaton, the police constable called in sick and went home in Brockworth where he allegedly deleted the photos from his phone and erased a back-up of the content. 

Eaton, who was training to become a detective constable, was arrested by police the same day and suspended from duty. 

He has denied the charge of voyeurism, claiming that he was in the shower next to his female colleague because his hair was sticking up and he needed water pressure to stick it down.

However, a jury heard he was ‘bone dry’ when the shocked female officer ran out of the showers to challenge him.  

PC Jonathan Eaton, 32, is accused of attempting to observe and record the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, while pretending to wash in the cubicle next to her

Prosecuting, Matthew Roberts told the court that the police constable had searched the Internet about photographs and back-ups before deleting the search history on the mobile phone.  

‘The lady officer was showering in a cubicle and drying herself off on a bench when she noticed a phone under the partition,’ Mr Roberts said. 

‘It was face up and the officer realised she was being photographed or videoed.’

He added: ‘When police arrested Eaton later that morning they discovered that his phone had been factory reset at 9.36am, wiping any evidence from it.

‘A subsequent investigation revealed that Mr Eaton had left Waterwells at 8.03am and he was back home by 8.49am and within 40 minutes the phone had been reset.

‘Anybody using shower facilities at work is entitled to shower in privacy, likewise colleagues are entitled to mutual trust and respect. Eaton abused that trust arrogantly and blatantly.

Prosecutors told Newport Crown Court the alleged incident occurred at the unisex changing rooms of Gloucestershire Constabulary’s headquarters in Quedgeley on February 27, 2019

‘The prosecution say this, Mr Eaton’s account in interview is nothing less than incredible. Going into a shower cubicle fully clothed to use the pressure from a shower head to sculpt your hair, yet emerging from it bone dry.

‘This disguises the reality of what Eaton was doing with his phone.’ 

The jury was shown a two-minute video of the unisex changing rooms at Gloucestershire Constabulary headquarters. 

The woman ran out of the shower cubicle and shouted ‘stop that man’ as Eaton tried to leave, Newport Crown Court heard. 

Eaton later admitted being in the adjoining cubicle and using the shower to wet his hair – but allegedly emerged from the cubicle ‘bone dry’.

Mr Roberts said: ‘He said he needed the high-pressure shower to sculpt his hair which was sticking up. But he emerged from the shower cubicle bone dry.

‘There is no dispute it was the defendant’s phone – it has a waterproof case with blue edging around it.  Police colleagues are entitled to mutual trust and respect – the defendant abused that trust arrogantly and blatantly.’

The female officer told the court the phone was hand-held when she spotted it in a ‘split second’ after a 45-minute gym workout.

‘I was naked and about to put my foot in a flip flop when I saw the phone,’ she said. ‘It was protruding into my cubicle – I couldn’t believe it. I grabbed my towel and flew out of the changing room and shouted ‘stop that man.” 

The trial continues.