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Original poster

OMG. Some perv took a photo of me totally starkers yesterday [angry]

58 replies

Northerner · 29/07/2006 15:44

I had taken ds swimming at our local pool. The changing rooms are communal and mixed sex with rows and rows of cubicles. Anyway, I'd got ds dry and dressed, just dropped my towel to dress myself and lo and behold a face pops up over the top of my cubicle and takes a picture with a camera phone [cross]

I was totally naked. So he got a bloomin good picture

I was so gobsmacked I just sttod there glued to the spot, then adrenaline kicked in a and I grabbed my towel, took ds by the hand and charged round the changing rooms like a mad woman trying to find him, which of course I couldn't.

I told the manager who has reported it to the police and they are coming to talk to me tomorrow.

What a b**tard

OP posts:
QueenEagle · 29/07/2006 15:46

How awful northerner.

The pool should have cctv footage from changing room cameras and be able to identify the perv.

MacSporran · 29/07/2006 15:46

OMG - what a shocking thing to happen.

Han4Dan · 29/07/2006 15:48

OMG!!!!

What a twat, i can't believe that.

cataloguequeen · 29/07/2006 15:48

bloody hell!! well if that's not an arguement against mixed sex changing rooms I don't what is ...what a cheek!!

I'm truly very pissed off on your behalf Northerner!!

cupcakes · 29/07/2006 15:49

Did you get a good look at his face?

Original poster
Northerner · 29/07/2006 15:50

Yes the pool does have cctv, they have contacted the company who operate it, so fingers crossed we can identify who it was and prosecute.

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Original poster
Northerner · 29/07/2006 15:51

Cupcakes it all happenned so quickly I don't think I'd be able to identify hime. I think he had glasses on but that's all I can say really. Couldn't even guess an age, but it wasn't a kid.

OP posts:
Helennn · 29/07/2006 15:56

The same thing happened in my local pool, apart from it was taken from under the bottom of the cubicle. Fortunately man was caught, done and name plastered all over local paper, (he was late 30's). I am in the South, hope he hasn't come up your way.

lionheart · 29/07/2006 16:04

That's horrible, Northerner. Hope they catch him.

No wonder you're furious.

biglips · 29/07/2006 16:11

was it a man or a kid? as i would be mortified!!!!!

Gobbledigook · 29/07/2006 16:14

OMG Northerner!! for you - and frightening really. He could be taking photos of children too which is hideous

SpaceCadet · 29/07/2006 16:14

what a horrible shock for you.
they should scrap mixed sex changing rooms.
when i lived in cambs, there was a bloke there who was peering under the changing room doors and taking pics, he was caught eventually.

QueenEagle · 29/07/2006 16:15

I hope this doesn't come over the wrong way but I would be glad it was a pic of me and not my kid.

That would be worse (whilst not underestimating the shcok for northerner that is).

SherlockLGJ · 29/07/2006 16:15

Northener

The only consolation is that if he is caught and it is plastered all over the HA, the whole of Harrogate will know in hours.

Original poster
Northerner · 29/07/2006 16:17

Yes I agree. Would much rather it be me than ds. But at least this has exposed the dangers. Someone could do it in the future with kids.

OP posts:
Original poster
Northerner · 29/07/2006 16:17

I know Sherlock!! Harrogate being the small town that it is.

I hope I bloody find out who it was.

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QueenEagle · 29/07/2006 16:26

Sadly, I can guarantee that someone already has taken photos of kids and got away with it.

I work at a swinmming pool and only a couple of weeks ago there was a complaint about someone taking photos of them in the changing room, a young teenager I think. Sadly, this is all too common and people need to be vigilant.

I work in the restaurant and cctv caught a bloke coming in to order a coffee and sit reading his paper waiting for a target to go into the changing rooms. The bloke would follow and take pics from the next cubicle.

FeelingOld · 29/07/2006 16:29

This is one of the reasons most of my friends do not use our new local pool which has mixed changing. This happened to a friends friend in the next town to us (although when they caught the person it was a youth messing around, bad enough but at least not a pervert/paedo) and when we heard about it we all stopped using the local pool. We go to a pool 10 miles away which has separate male/female changing rooms. Its inconvenient but safer.

So sorry this happened to you and I hope they catch this person soon.

Original poster
Northerner · 29/07/2006 16:29

Well it's a common occurance we should go back to single sex changing rooms. How can a woman in a locked cubicle be bloody vigilant?

OP posts:
QueenEagle · 29/07/2006 16:37

I meant vigilant in the changing room of anyone hanging about as the bloke at my pool was doing. You're right, you can't be from inside a cubicle, you are quite right to be angry at such an infringement of your privacy.

Re the single sex changing room argument though. When I used to take my boys swimming I was not happy about them going into the mens changing room on their own (over 8's were not allowed in with their mums) so from this pov the mixed changing rooms are a benefit. I wouldn't let my 8 year old change in the mens alone.

It's a toss up between that and the chance of someone taking a pic over the cubicle. On balance I'd take the mixed chnaging rooms for this reason alone.

foxinsocks · 29/07/2006 16:40

how awful for you

hope the police catch him

Original poster
Northerner · 29/07/2006 16:46

I agree Queen Eagle, it's a lesser or 2 evils isn't it? Ideally then there should be a female changing room, a male changing room and a family area for adults with children say under 15.

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babybuttercup · 29/07/2006 16:52

I understand what you are saying QueenEagle but an 8 year old is still a child, so why dont they change the rules that children under 12 are allowed in with their mums? This way we dont have to have mixed changing rooms and pervs taking pictures!!!
Although, it doesnt matter what we do there will always be dirty b**tards out there that will find a way.. I took my friends 9 month old baby to a park last week and there was a strange guy there taking pictures of 'the ducks', i had a gut feeling he wasnt right so left, this week i heard a paedo had been arrested at the same park!!!

QueenEagle · 29/07/2006 18:24

buttercup, my 12 year old is just hitting his puberty/hormonal phase in a big way and I dare say he would be a tad embarrassed to be in a changing room full of women changing!

If I were to suggest an age limit, I would say 10 maximum. Although even my 10 year old ds would hate the thought of having to come in the changing rooms with me! Family sized cubicles sound pretty sensible to me.

Sadly the pervs are always coming up with even more ingenious ways to get round any security measures. It's up to individuals to be aware and vigilant and to teach our kids how to keep themselves safe without alarming them.

jac34 · 29/07/2006 18:52

My DSs always come in with me when they go for their swimming lesson.As they are 8yo in October,I've been training them to put all their stuff together ready for when they have to go in on their own.They are already a bit embarrassed changing in the ladies and go into the loo to take their pants off/put their trunks on.
I think I'll suggest they carry on doing this even in the mens,I hadn't thought of someone with a camraphone taking pictures of them.
Another thing to worry about