Littlehampton man in court over ‘indecent images’

Chichester Crown Court where the case is being heard

Jon Millhouse, 57, of Gloucester Road, appeared before a jury at Chichester Crown Court on Tuesday (November 19), charged with two counts of sexual activity with a child, one count of voyeurism and seven counts of taking indecent images of a child.

All the offences allegedly took place between January 4 and May 21, 2012, at an address in Littlehampton.

Millhouse has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

During his opening speech, prosecutor Richard Cherrill told the jury of seven women and five men how Millhouse stowed secret recording devices in the under-16’s home, capturing hundreds of indecent photos of the teen – who for legal reasons cannot be identified – and 186 videos.

Mr Cherrill told the court how Millhouse had used the small recording device, shaped like a pen, which was hidden in the victim’s home.

Millhouse, wearing a black suit and red tie, watched as Mr Cherrill showed the jury a homemade contraption which the prosecution allege that Millhouse used to conceal the camera.

Mr Cherrill told the court that Millhouse taped together five DVD boxes and that there was a hole left for the camera to record all the images unseen.

The prosecutor told the court how police arrested Millhouse on May 21, 2012. He said that when they raided the defendant’s home, officers discovered one hard-drive containing 237 indecent images of the girl. Two USB sticks were also found in the accused’s home, which contained further indecent images.

DC Tim Hughes, of Sussex Police, showed the court dozens of indecent images and clips from 10 videos of the girl.

In Millhouse’s defence, he said that he had only placed the cameras in the girl’s home to monitor her health and well-being, Mr Cherrill said.

The prosecutor added that the accused had released a statement to police professing his innocence.

However, he said that this was ‘utter nonsense; a camouflage and smokescreen to disguise what his real purpose was – to have access to the private, naked body’ of the girl.

The case continues.