MARK HANSEN FROM NORTH SHIELDS JAILED FOR VOYEURISM AT NORTHUMBERLAND HOLIDAY PARK

A man identified as Mark Hansen has been sentenced to prison after a series of disturbing voyeurism offences committed at a holiday park in Northumberland. Hansen, a resident of Denton Avenue in North Shields, was found guilty of secretly recording young girls during their private moments at a popular holiday destination, leading to a significant police investigation and subsequent legal action.

According to court proceedings, Hansen targeted two young victims at the Haven holiday park in Berwick, where he lurked in the shadows outside their accommodation. One of the victims was filmed through a gap in her curtains while she was undressing, with Hansen using a hidden camera to capture her unaware. The court heard that Hansen’s actions were carried out covertly, with the recordings made from outside the window, exploiting the darkness and the partially closed curtains to avoid detection.

Police investigations revealed that Hansen’s phone contained a disturbing collection of images and videos involving multiple children, some as young as four years old and others in their early teens. These images were taken without the consent of the children and included footage of girls in various states of undress. When authorities seized Hansen’s device in September 2022 from his home, they discovered dozens of indecent images downloaded over a period of seven years, alongside recordings of young girls in vulnerable situations.

One particularly troubling recording involved a girl sitting on a bench at Flamingo Land, where her underwear was visible due to Hansen’s positioning of his phone. Further analysis uncovered videos taken through windows of girls aged 13 to 16, often while they were partially dressed, without their knowledge. The court was shown evidence that Hansen had taken these recordings while lurking around the holiday park, taking advantage of the cover of darkness and the privacy of the victims’ homes.

Prosecutor Kevin Wardlaw detailed the extent of Hansen’s offending, stating: “He used the iPhone to covertly record an unidentified female aged between 12 and 14 while she was undressing. The recording was made from outside a window, through a gap in partially closed curtains. It is apparent she had no knowledge she was being observed or filmed.”

Hansen, aged 45 at the time of sentencing, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images and two counts of voyeurism. Despite having no previous convictions, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Additionally, he was ordered to sign the sex offenders register and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the next ten years.

Judge Tim Gittins delivered a stern warning during sentencing, remarking: “These were images you took while roaming around Haven holiday park in Berwick, sneaking recordings through gaps in partly closed curtains and taking advantage of the darkness outside to take images of a girl while she was undressing.”

Representing Hansen, Matthew Purves acknowledged the severity of the offences, stating: “This is a gentleman with no previous convictions or any interactions with the authorities. He acknowledges he has a difficulty with what he is attracted to and it's incredibly rare people will open up to that extent. The nature of these offences is inexcusable and he doesn't seek to excuse them in any way. He accepts that from viewing internet material his offending escalated. He recognises he has an undesirable attraction to children, recognizing he has a sexual preoccupation and recognizing he needs further support and assistance to avoid further offending.”