I Had No Idea My Neighbour Was Secretly Filming Me and My Kids Naked
A single mother of two was once close friends with her neighbor until she uncovered a horrifying truth: he had been secretly filming her family in their most vulnerable moments—naked—from inside her own home.
Fifty-six-year-old Pete Tomlinson moved in next door to the unsuspecting victim in Nottingham 15 years ago, concealing a disturbing secret. He quickly became known in the neighborhood as a handyman, building friendships and earning the trust of many in the area.
Initially, locals welcomed Pete with open arms, often offering him small DIY jobs like painting, construction, and gardening for meager pay. Over the years, he ingratiated himself into the community, even starting a relationship with a local girl named Emily, with whom he had two sons.
The victim, a single mother who prefers to remain anonymous, initially met Pete while living with her parents. As their friendship blossomed, her two sons, aged 10 and 11, frequently played with Pete’s children. Trusting him completely, she even gave him a house key to care for her pets during family outings.
However, when a stash of cash mysteriously disappeared from her home, the mother asked Pete to install internal security cameras for peace of mind. A year later, in 2023, her suspicions grew when the app linked to the cameras began acting erratically, leading her to roll back the footage. What she discovered was chilling: Pete was peering back at her through the lens.
Confused and alarmed, she warned her sons to avoid walking around the house naked, whispering for them to close the bathroom door because she suspected Pete was watching them. After discussing her concerns with a neighboring friend, they confirmed sightings of Pete “snooping around,” which deepened her fears. She confided, “It’s worse than that; I think he’s watching us.”
Disappointed by the police’s response, the determined mother decided to take matters into her own hands and installed hidden cameras. She recalled how Pete’s children often played with her sons, adding to her sense of betrayal.
In her quest for the truth, the mother devised a plan to catch Pete in the act. She told him she was going out one night, all the while watching him live from a hotel room. She described the experience as nerve-wracking, filled with panic as she feared he might discover the hidden cameras and retaliate. “At this point, I don’t know who he is anymore,” she said. “He’s broken my trust. He’s not who I thought he was; he was family, but he’s not anymore.”
Horrified, she eventually found Pete in the act of unplugging the cameras and pocketing the SD cards.
Officers Find 2,000 Videos and Photos
When police investigated, they uncovered a shocking eight months’ worth of footage, totaling 2,025 videos and photos of the mother in various states of undress, including naked, partially dressed, and in the bathroom. The victim believes Pete recorded these images while she was away on vacation or when he was performing DIY tasks in her home.
Pete Tomlinson ultimately pleaded guilty to unauthorized access to computer material, a charge that served as a substitute for voyeurism, which was his initial charge. His disturbing past revealed that he had previously been imprisoned for sexually abusing his own daughter from the age of eight, contradicting the story he had told the neighborhood about being falsely accused of engaging with an underage girl at a club.
The mother questioned, “Why was he allowed to live so close to us when we all have children on this street? He hasn’t learned his lesson. He is a creep. I don’t think women and children are safe around him.” She expressed her horror, stating, “He has over 2,000 photos of me—photos of me naked, of me dressing, of me on the toilet.”
Despite a 10-year restraining order being established, Pete is reportedly living in a hostel just down the street from her. She shared her concerns about him potentially finding another vulnerable woman to exploit, explaining, “He’s very good at what he does. Even after a conflict with another neighbor, he patched things up by offering to help with her garden while she was at work.”
“You end up appreciating that help, but my worry is that he’s going to do it all over again. I never imagined someone would take the SD card from your security camera, download the footage, and then put it back as if nothing happened—it would take him just 10 minutes.” She concluded, “He is a predator.”
The Sentencing
During the sentencing hearing at Nottingham Crown Court, it was revealed that the defendant and the victim were indeed neighbors, sharing the same community. After pleading guilty, Tomlinson received a 16-month prison term, suspended for two years.
Recorder Sacha Ackland stated, “This is not a sex offense, but the offense clearly had a sexual motive. There were over 2,000 images of the victim, both naked and partially dressed. You abused her trust.” The victim impact statement revealed the profound anxiety and sense of insecurity she now feels in her own home, expressing, “I feel destroyed.”
Defense attorney Nick Walsh mentioned that Tomlinson had not lived in the area since the offense came to light and that he now only has access to his children through social services. The defense argued that Tomlinson’s actions have turned both his life and the lives of his family upside down.
As part of the suspended sentence order, the judge mandated that Tomlinson attend 40 rehabilitation sessions and a program designed to address his offending behavior. He was also given a 10-year restraining order, prohibiting him from contacting the victim or approaching the area where she lives, as reported by Nottinghamshire Live.
Legal Consequences of Non-Consensual Recording
Non-consensual recording in private spaces is a serious violation of multiple UK laws, including the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Data Protection Act 2018. The UK legal system enforces stringent penalties for such offenses through both criminal prosecution and civil litigation.
Criminal Offenses
- Voyeuristic recording: Maximum 10 years imprisonment.
- Phone interception: 2-5 years imprisonment.
- Harassment involving voice recording: Unlimited fine.
- Criminal Justice Act 2003: Up to 2 years imprisonment.
Civil Remedies
- Compensation claims.
- Data protection violations.
- Conversation privacy breaches.
- Deletion orders for existing footage.
- Injunctions to stop recording or sharing.
Potential Penalties
- Restraining orders.
- Employer penalties.
- Costs against the perpetrator.
- Fines up to £500,000 (ICO).
- Damages for emotional distress.
