Sex offender jailed after filming women and girls including in Lerwick shop changing room

A former Shetland man who secretly filmed women and girls as they used a toilet has been jailed for 32-months. 

John Rankin, 48, formerly of Sandwick, was sentenced at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday (Friday), after pleading guilty to all charges, including possessing vast amounts of indecent images and videos of children. 

The videos were discovered following police enforcement at his then Sandwick home in November last year. 

Police discovered Rankin was a voyeur who had been secretly been filming young girls and women.

Detectives found pictures showing him setting up a secret camera and several clips filmed using clandestine equipment to video girls as young as 12, while they used a toilet.

Detectives also discovered a recording of a woman getting dressed in a Lerwick shop changing room..

Police Scotland said all of the unsuspecting victims were identified, traced and “completely shocked and understandably perturbed by what had occurred”.

“This was a very serious enquiry which utilised both Shetland based officers and specialist cybercrime enquiry officers, resulting in the early guilty plea by Rankin,” a police spokesman added. 

Rankin has also been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for an indefinite period.