A CAMBRIDGE-EDUCATED doctor who filmed men urinating in public bathrooms in Jersey while he was training at Jersey Hospital has been convicted of nine counts of voyeurism.
Diego Balassini was bailed to reappear before the court until this Friday, when he is due to be sentenced.
He was arrested after a man in the gym caught Balassini recording him in a state of undress. The police subsequently found other videos recorded at locations around the Island.
Eight of the charges related to videos he took of men urinating, while one related to the video taken at the gym.
The States police praised the gymgoer who alerted them to Balassini. Detective Constable Peter Faudemer, who led the investigation, said he “commends the courage of the victim who came forward and supported this investigation”.
After the man called the police, an analysis of Balassini’s devices uncovered a number of videos and files that pointed to what DC Faudemer described as “a repeated pattern of offending, carried out in places where individuals have every right to feel safe and confident that their privacy will be respected”.
DC Faudemer further said the police “remain firmly committed to identifying, investigating, and preventing all forms of voyeurism and privacy‑related offences.
“We encourage anyone with concerns, or anyone who believes they may have been affected, to contact us.”
Advocate Stephen Baker, defending, attempted to persuade the Royal Court that Balassini had “complex mental health issues” which led him to take the videos – but that they weren’t taken for sexual gratification, and as a result didn’t meet the conditions to be voyeurism.
However, the Royal Court rejected that argument and convicted him on all charges.
Balassini was also placed on the Sex Offender’s Register.
Commissioner Sir William Bailhache was presiding, with Jurats Andrew Cornish and Michael Powell sitting.
