My pedophile 'neighbor from hell' uses a secret camera to 'spy' on my 12-year-old grandson – and the police said it was okay
A grandfather claims his pedophile 'neighbor from hell' is using a secret camera to 'spy' on his 12-year-old grandson – and police say it's no big deal.
Martin Prior was the first to make contact Police on Dec. 22 when he spotted a menacing spy camera in a lane near his home.
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But when officers came by to check the lens, they said it was perfectly legal and refused to cut it off the fence.
Martijn, van Herefordshiretold The Sun: It's infuriating and unbelievable.
“I reported it to the police because I was afraid it had been put there by one of our neighbors, a convicted pedophile.
“The police are no longer interested in this case and will do nothing. It is unacceptable.”
Martin's pedo neighbor was previously sentenced to nine months in prison for possession indecent images of children.
But in December, the grandpa found a spy camera attached to a third-party fence on what he believes is a mixed private and public road.
He claims the black box “points to a tree house” that his 12-year-old grandson and young friends used during their visit.
The 65-year-old explained: “Our grandson lives semi-resident with us; until this camera was installed, his young friends and relatives, men and women, came to play here.
'But we have had to severely limit these visits to protect these children from the possibility of being filmed.
“Our niece is not allowed to visit us at all as long as this terrible situation continues.”
Incredibly, when police questioned the sick man, he claimed he had posted it on the advice of West Mercia Police.
Martin added: “He did not deny posting it, but said he was filming in connection with a past dispute over boundaries between our two families.”
Martin did not confront the resident himself, who he described as a “neighbor from hell” who is “very intimidating and aggressive” and feared by other local residents.
“Some people here are too scared to walk their dogs in case he comes out and jumps them,” he said.
He was also concerned that other hidden cameras may have been pointed at his home.
“I discovered a secret camera on a gatepost on the land between our two properties pointing in the direction of mine, towards the tree house where my grandson and his young friends play in the tree house when they visit.
It remains in place attached to a fence post on land not owned by the sex offender and which does not cover his property.
The pedophile was released last autumn after serving a nine-month prison sentence for possessing indecent photographs of children on his work laptop.
Martin insists his “neighbor from hell”, a 51-year-old, is responsible for putting a camera there.
He explained: “Police investigated and spoke to the man involved.
“He did not deny posting it, but said he was filming due to a past dispute over boundaries between our two families.”
“I reported it to the police because I was afraid it had been put there by one of our neighbors, a convicted pedophile.”
But when officers came by the next day to talk to the owner – a convicted sex offender – they said they couldn't do anything.
Shocked Martin said: “We are afraid that the sex offender There may be other hidden cameras aimed at our property.
Correspondence between Martin and police shows that the Safer Neighborhood Team refused to investigate the camera, despite the grandfather's concerns about the “gross invasion of privacy”.
In an email to Martin, the Safer Neighborhood Team said: “I am not aware of the advice on the basis of which he has chosen to install CCTV cameras.
“Issues relating to the use of CCTV should be monitored and addressed by the Information Commissioner's Office.”
Martin calls the police response to the report 'standard' and 'unacceptable'.
He has now lodged a complaint with West Mercia Police's professional standards department.
A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said: “We are aware of concerns surrounding the installation of a CCTV camera.
“However, no crime has been reported to us and therefore it is not a police matter. Concerns about CCTV should be reported to the Information Commissioner's Office.
“We can neither confirm nor deny the location or identity of any registered sex offender in the community.”
Online advice from the Information Commissioner's Office says CCTV used to film other properties is not a data protection breach.
They say owners should try to direct them away from their neighbours' homes, shared spaces or public streets and if you have any concerns you should contact the police.
The Sun approached West Mercia Police for comment.