A VOYEUR who took pictures of three women naked in their own homes has been given a suspended sentence despite admitting taking them for his own sexual gratification.

The full extent of Matthew Madden’s perverted behaviour only came to light following a police investigation after he posted naked images of another woman on a social media website.

Officers recovered a number of images from his mobile phone and laptop depicting naked women getting dressed or using the bathrooms in their homes after the sick pervert loitered outside their homes.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the 31-year-old had caused untold misery and upset for all four of his victims.

The court heard that someone who knew one of the victims came across the naked photos on Reddit and sent a message asking if they belonged to her before she contacted the police and an investigation was launched.

In a victim impact statement, she said: “I feel violated, I haven't been able to sleep properly. I have been having nightmares and waking up crying.

"I also feel a sense of embarrassment and isolation as I don't want to talk about has happened.”

One of the Madden’s voyeurism victims, who read her statement out in court, said: “"I have often come home and felt like someone was in the house. Hearing noises that were probably in my head, being scared, walking in every room, checking in cupboards and under the bed."

Another spoke of how it had impacted on her mental health and had been forced to move house as a result of the upset caused by the case.

Madden, of Fairfield Street, Darlington, pleaded guilty to three charges of voyeurism between April 2019 and July 2021; and the disclosure of private sexual photos with intent to cause distress between September 2017 and March 2018, at an earlier hearing.

Gary Wood, in mitigation, said his client suffered from mental health problems and was suffering from ‘low mood’ at the time of the incidents.

He said: "Mr Madden did accept to the psychiatrist that he was sexually aroused by those images and that is something that some defendants aren't prepared to accept under these types of reports. I would respectively submit that is the first step in acceptance and it does show an element of acknowledgement, remorse, and regret.”

Judge Jonathan Carroll sentenced Madden to eight months in custody, suspended for two years added a number of stringent conditions to address his behaviour.

He said: “Each of them has given a victim personal statement and what it makes clear in each of those statements is the emotional and psychological harm at the core of what you have done. As one said today, she should feel perfectly safe going about ordinary and everyday private matters inside her own home.

“It may have been at arm's length but that does not mean it is harm free. On the contrary, the profound sense of invasion and almost a personal attack felt by for all of these ladies is clear to see.

"Everyone is entitled to that degree of privacy and dignity and you took that from them.”

Madden was made subject to a ten-year sexual harm prevention order and will have to sign on the sex offenders’ register for the same period of time.

He was also ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work and pay £250 in compensation to all four of his victims.

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