A voyeuristic pensioner set up cameras in a 16-year-old girl’s bedroom because he “wanted to see a young girl naked.”

Patrick Honeywell, of Hopton Gardens, Hopton, also set up cameras in another woman’s bedroom and bathroom and watched her bathe.

The 71-year-old admitted three counts of voyeurism when he appeared at Great Yarmouth Magistrates’ Court on March 6.

After the devices were recovered from homes in Basildon, Essex, Honeywell sent a text message to the girl saying he had been a “bad boy.”

Stacie Cossey, prosecuting, said: “There were no indecent images found but she went to school and told someone and they told the police.

“Images were recovered from the device, including fully-naked photographs of the woman in the bath.

“He said he wanted to see her getting undressed but claimed it was not sexual.

“There was a significant degree of planning and the girl was vulnerable.

Honeywell was charged with three counts of voyeurism by recording a private act between April 23, 2017, until May 11, 2017, between May 1, 2017, until May 11 2017, and on May 11 2017.

A pre-sentence probation report was made, with the court told Honeywell “wanted to see a young girl naked”, but is now impotent after surgery for prostate cancer.

Mark Hague, defending, said: “He has no previous convictions or cautions and there was no publication at all of these images. He had deleted all of them with the exception of what was recovered.

“This is an unfortunate situation which has been going on for two years, causing him immense stress and strain.

“For 22 months, whenever he has had a knock on the door he thought something was going to happen, but it was so long he started to think it had gone away.

“He is in the latter years of his life in poor health and is not someone embarking on a criminal career and the likelihood of him reoffending is low.”

Honeywell was handed a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, and handed a two-year community order involving one-to-one supervision with a probation officer and 40 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days. He must also pay court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £115.

A sexual harm prevention order was also made.