An Inverness hotel worker who placed a hidden camera in a cubicle of a male toilet to secretly film people using it was spared a jail sentence on Thursday.
But Sheriff Gary Aitken told 25-year-old David Mackay he was very close to be sent to custody. Instead, Mackay had a series of demands and restrictions placed on him by the Sheriff.
He will be under social work supervision for two years, on the sex offender’s register for the same period and he has to participate in a rehabilitation programme.
In addition, he must get any future job approved by his supervising officer, allow monitoring of any internet-enabled and image-capturing device and to have them checked by police.
The device Mackay used was found in the Craigmonie Hotel, Inverness, and the matter was reported to police on April 5, 2019.
Mackay, of Bishop Kinkell, near Conon Bridge, pleaded guilty to placing a recording device with the intention to commit voyeurism and to the offence of voyeurism.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that when interviewed by police, he made full admissions.
Defence solicitor Duncan Henderson said: “I have to accept this is an unpleasant offence committed at a time when the complainers were vulnerable. However I would ask the court to desist from imposing a custodial sentence.”
Sentence had been previously deferred for a background report.