Redditch man who worked as photographer jailed for sex offences
Steven Liles, 60, secretly filmed people changing in his home studio
A Redditch man who worked as a photographer has been jailed after being found guilty of a series of sex and voyeurism offences.
Steven Liles, 60, of Weatheroak Close, was jailed for eight years and six months at Worcester Crown Court on Friday (26 June) after previously been found guilty of several offences spanning from 2009 to 2019.
The court heard how Liles met his victims through his work as a freelance photographer and converted his home garage into a photography studio and set up a hidden camera in his office, where he would ask the people he was taking photos of to get changed.
Two of charges of voyeurism related to footage of children and the third to footage of an adult.
The trial also heard Liles also befriended women with children and exploited his relationship with the mothers to groom and sexually assault the young girls.
He was found guilty of one count of sexual assault on a child under 13 and three counts of sexual activity with a child.
During sentencing, Judge Jackson described Liles as ‘a deviant behind a mask’, and the words, ‘targeted’, ‘groomed’, ‘sexual predator’, and ‘false friend’ were heard throughout.
Detective Sergeant Shelley Aplin from the Major Investigation Unit said: “I want to commend the victims for their unwavering courage and patience throughout the entire investigation, which has undoubtably been extremely difficult for them.
“They have told their story and should hold their heads high. Everyone who has come forward and supported this investigation has helped bring this offender to justice.
“Liles is a predator whose behaviour affected so many lives and caused immense emotional turmoil. It was right that he has been given a lengthy prison sentence.”
Liles was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) indefinitely, which prohibits him from contacting and having unsupervised contact with children once released from prison.
He was also ordered to pay £4360 in court charges.