Secretly filmed in the toilet by ex colleague.

[Tropaz11]

I have to start by saying I have name changed. This story is not me but one of my colleagues. I have told it in her perspective as neither of us know what to do.

At the weekend I was out with a load of colleagues. An ex colleague was there. Previously some women I work with have complained that he is a bit creepy and said that when they’ve talked to him he has tried to film down their tops etc.

There was a toilet in the club we were in that was only being used by us (had an area roped off). I went to use the loo and noticed someone had left their phone on top of the sanitary bin. I thought this was pretty weird as it’s quite an unhygienic place to leave your phone. When I picked it up I noticed it had a metal device attached to the bottom of it. I pressed the screen to find out who it belonged to but the screen wouldn’t light up, as if it was turned off. I started to feel really weird, like something was up.

I went back out to the bar and over to my friends who were coincidentally talking to the creepy guy. I said that I had found the phone in the toilet and that it was really weird to be positioned on the sanitary bin.

Immediate the guy got very panicked and acted odd. He grabbed the phone saying it was his and then went home. Didn’t see him again all night.

My colleague has told a few people this story and we don’t know what to do. She’s been advised to tell HR and that they will inform the police if needs be but this is obviously an ex colleague and it happened out of work.

What should she do?

If the phone was laying down flat on top of the sanitary bin surely the only thing it could have been filming is the ceiling?!

Definitely don't talk to HR, it's not work related

So the phone was in plain sight? And anyone going in to that cubicle next, man or woman, was bound to see it?

I think he was very lucky to leave the club with his phone if I'm honest. Very lucky indeed.

I'd be surprised if someone was relying on no-one nicking their phone to do a bit of secret filming. Sounds like a terrible plan to me.

Please report this. Even if there turns out to not be enough to pursue it on this occasion the intel remains on file and will help to build a picture if/when he is next caught

"OP, where are you based as unisex toilets so rare in UK"

No they aren't!

Loads of bars and restaurants around here have them.
Also cafes and things.

Womens and girls instincts when it comes to creepy men are usually not wrong.

Lots of women telling another women > when they weren't there > that she must be mistaken is what always happens though. No, dont' report it. Don't make a fuss. Give him the benffit of the doubt. Have you got proof? Don't waste police time. etc etc

See it over and over on threads on here and have seen it in real life as well and for things much worse than this.

Meanwhile men go about knowing they can pretty much act with impunity as women are socialised to to not do anythign at all up until the point somethings really awful happens, and most don't even report at that point.

It's depressing.

Based on the fact he was a creep, has form for filming / photoing women, grabbed the phone and ran off, it sounds like he was up to no good.

No I don't think the police will do anything but I don't KNOW, and there's no harm in the OP giving them a ring and asking.

You don't have to have proof in your hand in order to report to the police surely? Is that just for creepy men and possible sex crimes.

Do you happen to know if the phone was positioned on a kick stand.
I personally think he just put down as the risk of having it stolen or being caught would outweigh the benefits.
On the other hand, this is him out with ex work colleagues. He has form for behaving inappropriately.