'Peeping Tom' jailed for eight years

A 'peeping Tom', who would break into homes and film himself masturbating over sleeping women and children, will spend at least eight years behind bars for his disturbing crimes.

John William Goodwin, 41, preyed on women across Brisbane's north side, sneaking into their homes as they slept and masturbating at their bedside.

The youngest of Goodwin's victims was only eight years old.

It was through this victim that Goodwin's crimes were finally revealed after police traced child pornography featuring the young victim being sold to a Russian website.

The cyber trail led police back to Goodwin, who went by the online moniker 'Evil I Am'.

After searching his home, detectives unearthed a computer cache of 1.5 million files that has been meticulously curated by Goodwin, including 154,000 child exploitation images, 1193 child exploitation videos and countless 'peeping Tom' files.

Police said Goodwin would also rob the homes of many of his victims and kept the stolen good as "trophies".

Goodwin's barrister, Damien Carlton, attempted to justify his client's behaviour by telling the court he offended for his own "voyeuristic sexual gratification" that started when he was a small child and was rooted in an internet porn addiction.

Outside the court, Detective inspector John Rouse said yesterday's sentencing marked the end of a long and challenging police investigation.

Source: Courier-Mail

Author: Natasha Lee, Approving editor: Martin Zavan