A man identified as Jean-Pierre Francis has been sentenced in England after secretly recording multiple women in their homes and workplaces over a period of ten years using concealed cameras hidden inside everyday objects.
Authorities said Francis carried out a sustained pattern of voyeuristic offences between 2015 and 2025, using discreet recording devices disguised as ordinary items such as pens, USB flash drives, electrical plugs and even household containers like soap or shower gel bottles.
According to a statement released by Northamptonshire Police, the investigation began in May 2024 after one of the victims discovered a hidden camera inside her bedroom. That discovery prompted a wider inquiry into what police later described as a long-running and carefully concealed operation.
Investigators linked the offence to 33-year-old Francis through evidence gathered during the initial stages of the probe. Following this, his electronic devices were seized and subjected to forensic analysis.
Police said that examination of the equipment revealed hundreds of videos and images captured over the course of a decade, confirming the scale and duration of the offences.
The recordings were allegedly obtained using a range of covert recording tools, including modified pens, USB devices and plug sockets, all adapted to conceal cameras in everyday environments where the victims would not suspect surveillance.
Authorities confirmed that six women were targeted in total, with victims aged between 20 and 60. The offences took place in private and workplace settings, areas where individuals are generally expected to feel secure and unobserved.
Francis was subsequently charged with six counts of voyeurism. He pleaded guilty to all charges on March 13 before sentencing proceedings concluded in April.
On April 17, the court sentenced him to three years and six months in prison.
In addition to the custodial sentence, the court ordered the destruction of all devices used in the offences to prevent any further misuse of the equipment.
Francis was also made subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, restricting his activities following release, and was placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.
Detective Constable Georgia Sampson, the lead investigator, described the case as involving sustained and deeply invasive behaviour, noting that everyday technology had been exploited to breach the privacy of victims in spaces where they should have been safest.
She added that the investigation was complex and highly technical, requiring detailed forensic examination of multiple devices spanning a decade of offending, ultimately revealing the full extent of the conduct.
Police said the case highlights how easily common household or electronic items can be misused for covert surveillance, and how prolonged such offences can remain undetected without careful investigation.
