A PERVERT who set up a covert camera in the bathroom of his home when a young woman came to stay has been jailed.

Jeffrey Seel, 65, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court after pleading guilty to voyeurism.

The court heard how on the weekend of September 14, the woman, who had been staying at his house in Longridge, had gone to the bathroom and put some rubbish in the bin.

When she went to sit on the toilet, she noticed a light coming from a hole in the pocket of a dressing gown hanging on the back of the door.

Upon inspection she discovered a device that looked very much like a USB stick, which had been taped into the pocket and coloured black to make it less visible.

The court heard that Seel had been convicted of a similar offence 11 years ago.

Prosecuting, Joe Boyd said: “The woman left the house and went to a friend's house and watched what was on the device through a computer.

“The footage showed Seel setting up the spy camera and footage of her using the bathroom, but nothing private.

“The police were called and the defendant was interviewed.

“In the interview he fully admitted responsibility for putting the device there and said he took the opportunity to get the USB out which was the same one he’d used 11 years before, and put it in the dressing gown.

“He did it out of lust and was going to use what was on it for sexual gratification.”

The victim, who was in the courtroom, read out her personal statement from the witness box.

She said the incident had had a huge impact on her mental health and felt she had been violated.

She explained how it had caused her anguish and anger even though she had never been an angry person before.

She said: “At the time, my marriage was breaking down, and because of the incident I haven’t managed to deal with this properly.

“It has had a huge impact on my mental health.

"When I am out on my own I feel everyone is looking at me and knows what has happened.”

Defending, Daniel Prowse said his client was remorseful and offered his apologies.

Seel, now of Green Lane, Oldham, was sentenced to 10 months in prison with an extra 12 months to be served on licence upon his release.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years and was handed an indefinite restraining order.