A DISGRACED former ward councillor who secretly filmed dozens of victims over a 14-year period has been jailed.

Robert Holden was jailed for six years and two months at Bradford Crown Court today (Friday, September 27) for 31 counts of voyeurism and seven of computer misuse.

Holden, an ex Conservative councillor for Ryburn on Calderdale Council who ran a computer repair business, installed hidden cameras in the bathroom, bedroom and living areas of his homes to secretly film his victims.

The court also heard that the 51-year-old, of Row Lane in Sowerby Bridge, Calderdale, obtained some of the images from devices left with him to repair.

The voyeurism offending took place between 2006 and 2020, with the computer misuse offences occurring from 2006 and involving an additional seven victims.

Holden failed to attend a magistrates’ court hearing in April 2022, and a warrant for his arrest was issued.

He was later found on the island of Cape Verde and in September 2023, he was extradited back to the UK.

The offending was first reported to West Yorkshire Police in November 2020 after a female victim noticed a suspicious sensor unit in a bathroom at a property.

On examining the sensor, she found what she suspected to be a recording device and contacted West Yorkshire Police.

Officers attended and, on confirming the sensor contained recording equipment, launched a wider investigation into other offending which had taken place at the house.

Detailed enquiries followed over a number of months in which specialist officers seized and examined Holden’s electronic equipment for offending footage and worked to identify victims.

DI Jarrod McSharry of Calderdale District Police said: “It is hard to think of a worse or more devious abuse of trust than that committed by Robert Holden against his victims.  

“Holden used his skills in IT to set up elaborate spying equipment which he used to commit multiple voyeurism offences against large numbers of persons who had no idea they were being filmed.

“Victims were horrified to discover how Holden had abused their basic right to privacy and dignity by setting up cameras in a bathroom and bedroom for his own perverted gratification.

“I want to thank those victims for their bravery in supporting what became a significant and long running investigation to unravel Holden’s extensive offending.”

He added: “We continue to urge all victims of sexual offending to come forwards.  All reports of sexual offences are treated with the utmost seriousness and fully investigated by specialist officers, with the needs of victims are at the heart of every investigation.”

James Weekes, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Holden is a serial sex offender who secretly filmed his victims for his own sexual gratification.

“His attempt to evade justice demonstrates his lack of remorse – it was only due to the work of the Crown Prosecution Service and police in successfully extraditing him that he took any responsibility for his crimes by pleading guilty earlier this year.

“Voyeurism is a degrading invasion of privacy and has no place in our society – the Crown Prosecution Service is determined to hold offenders to account and will prosecute whenever our legal test is met.”