Mark Bowyer
Age: 51
Town: Swindon
Convicted: 19/09/2023
Secretly filmed a woman naked.
Swindon man secretly filmed a woman naked, leaving her fearful, a court heard.
Mark Bowyer, 50, was ordered to register as a sex offender after admitting to committing an act of voyeurism, which left his victim depressed and anxious.
At Swindon Magistrates' Court, prosecutor Tom Power, in an unusual move, declined to outline the case in open court, leaving the specifics of the offense unclear. Wiltshire 999s successfully applied to the court for documents related to Bowyer's crime, but these have not yet been provided.
The victim, reading her impact statement in court, described her fear and anxiety. She said she installed security lights around her property and is now medicated for depression and anxiety due to the incident. "I don't want him to do it to anyone else… I want him to know he can't get away with this," she stated, emphasizing the significant impact on her emotional wellbeing.
Bowyer's defense attorney, Rachael Stitt, offered an apology from her client to both the victim and the court. She expressed concern that Bowyer might lose his job due to the sex offender registration requirement and urged the bench to deviate from the pre-sentence report to avoid this.
Character references were submitted to the magistrates, including one from Bowyer's son describing him as a "kind, caring, and respectful man." A friend called Bowyer an "inspiration" and recounted an incident where he, many years ago, shielded a woman from domestic violence, taking her to the hospital and saving her eyesight.
Magistrates, accepting Bowyer's "genuine remorse," imposed an 18-month community order. This includes 50 rehabilitation activity days and a mental health treatment requirement. The defendant, residing on High Street in Old Town, was also fined over £1,900 and ordered to register as a sex offender for five years. He is also responsible for a court surcharge.