Horror as 12-year-old girl filmed by vile sex offender in supermarket | UK | News
A man caught filming women and girls in changing rooms has been added to the Sex Offenders list. A woman discovered the man filming, and authorities later found other videos of other women in locker rooms on his phone. Police seized Darren Cox’s phone and found a video of a girl believed to be between 10 and 12 years old. The 49-year-old man, of Lanark Road, Carstairs, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court this week.
There he admitted filming women at Sainsbury’s in Hamilton and other unknown locations between February and April 2024. A woman shopping was caught when she noticed a phone placed on top of the compartment where she was changing. He confronted Cox and police were then called. When officers viewed the supermarket’s security cameras, Cox was seen entering the dressing room wearing two pairs of trousers and two T-shirts, and the woman then entered an adjacent cubicle.
Prosecutor Kevin Morrow said 20 videos of adult women undressing in changing rooms were found on the perpetrator’s phone. It was also revealed that he filmed a girl, thought to be between 10 and 12 years old, while she was changing in the cabin.
None of the victims were identified except the woman who captured him. Mr Morrow said Cox was “tearful” and apologetic when officers questioned him about the videos.
“He admitted to following people and filming them in changing areas,” he said. “He claimed he didn’t know the girl he filmed was so young and deleted that video as soon as he realized it.
“The defendant said his wife was going through a ‘terrible’ time and he was her caregiver. There were all kinds of problems.”
He added: “He told the police he had been a ‘hot idiot’ and wanted to apologize.”
Sheriff Liam Murphy said in a statement that it was clear the woman who caught Cox felt a “significant” impact from the incident.
The sheriff told Cox: “Don’t be under any illusions, you have pleaded guilty to a serious offence.”
Sentencing was deferred until next month pending background reports, electronic tagging assessment and risk assessment.
