By James Johnson

Last updated at 11:39, Saturday, 19 January 2013

A sex predator who fitted cameras into bathrooms to spy on women and a girl has been labelled a “nightmare” to parents with teenage daughters.

Mark Klein, of Carlisle: Jailed for four-and-a-half years after being convicted of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, perverting the course of justice and three counts of voyeurism

Mark Klein is today starting a four-and-a-half year prison sentence after a judge described him as a “significant risk” to the public.

Police say the 46-year-old betrayed the trust of families for his own perverted pleasure. Klein, of Charles Street, Carlisle, groped a teenager in a disused quarry and fitted mini cameras to spy on women and a girl while they were in a bathroom.

He also set up a fictional Facebook profile to keep in contact with young, vulnerable girls.

The pervert was jailed after being convicted of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, perverting the course of justice and three counts of voyeurism.

Sentencing him at Carlisle Crown Court, Judge Barbara Forrester said: “Everything points to the fact that you are a sexual predator.

“We saw the effects on the victims in court having to go through it again.

“This makes you the nightmare of any parent that has a teenage daughter.”

Klein’s trial heard he had given a 15-year-old victim a lift on a motorbike to an abandoned building late at night, before fleeing after being spotted by a security guard.

He then took her to an abandoned quarry and tried to kiss her.

Later the same evening he contacted her with a text message and on Facebook, making sexual comments.

The victim said Klein communicated online with her using a fake name and he asked her to ensure that her online chat history was turned off so there would be no record of it.

It was as police examined his computer to investigate this initial report that they discovered footage recorded on the hidden cameras.

Initially, Klein’s excuse for putting cameras in bathrooms was that he was trying to catch a girl smoking.

He then denied having watched the recorded footage, but a police investigation showed this was not the case.

Klein attempted to convince one of the voyeurism victims to tell police she knew she had been watched, but she later told police this was a lie.

He had previously been convicted of charges of indecent assault and making indecent photos of a child in 2002.

Judge Forrester said: “It was for your own sexual gratification – all premeditated and cynical. You are a significant risk to a section of the population.”

As well as his prison sentence, Klein was given an indefinite sexual offences prevention order.

Speaking afterwards, Detective Sergeant Michael Taylor said the sentence reflected the seriousness of the crimes and praised his young victim for showing “tremendous courage” in speaking out.

He added: “Klein betrayed the trust of young girls and their families.”

DS Taylor encouraged parents with concerns about who their child is interacting with online to contact officers.

First published at 11:02, Saturday, 19 January 2013
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk