Secretly filmed two children in a bath and then shared severe child sex abuse images.

Man Jailed for Filming Children and Sharing Child Abuse Images

Lee Bowdler, 52, from Bilsthorpe, Nottinghamshire, has been sentenced to one year in prison for secretly filming two children in a bath and sharing indecent images of children.

Bowdler pleaded guilty to using a hidden camera in a bathroom and possessing 271 indecent images of children, some of which he shared on Twitter. The National Crime Agency (NCA) stated that Bowdler had a "clear sexual interest" in children.

The NCA identified Bowdler after he posted indecent images on Twitter using an online alias. He was arrested at his workplace in Colwick in May 2022. During the investigation, officers discovered 271 indecent images, including some in the most severe category, on eight of Bowdler's devices. A secret recording of two children bathing, filmed by Bowdler using a hidden camera, was also recovered.

At Mansfield Magistrates' Court on February 7, Bowdler admitted to three counts of making indecent images of children, one count of distributing images, and one count of voyeurism.

Adam Sprague, NCA operations manager, said: "Lee Bowdler clearly had a sexual interest in children, shown both by the footage he shot in the bathroom and the child abuse images he'd accumulated. There is a global demand for such material, so the NCA will never waver in its commitment to protect children from sexual abuse and bring perpetrators to justice."

An NSPCC spokesperson in the East Midlands highlighted that child abuse image offenses recorded by UK police "have surged by 81% in just five years." The spokesperson emphasized that "behind every one of the indecent images Bowdler downloaded and distributed are children, many who will have suffered abuse which could cause lasting harm."