A MAN was caught peering through the bathroom and bedroom windows of a house occupied by two female students before putting his hand “towards his crotch”.

Andrew James Ryland, 34, of Drake Close, Christchurch, was found guilty at trial of, for the purposes of sexual gratification, attempting to observe another person in a private act without their consent.

In doing so, he breached a community order imposed on him for making indecent images of children.

He appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court for sentencing.

Prosecuting, Puneet Grewall told the court in the evening of March 8, 2021, the defendant was seen lurking around a parked car and then using his hands to cup around his face while peering through the window of the Bournemouth property.

“A neighbour saw his hand go towards his crotch,” Ms Grewall said. “The neighbour saw the defendant on his phone, he confronted him and the defendant said he lived at the property.

“The neighbour knocked on the door, the defendant wasn’t keen and said he was going to the shop.

“One of the victims was in the shower during the time of the incident, he was peering at her.

“After showering the victim got into her dressing gown and stayed in her bedroom. Neither of the victims were aware he was peering through the windows, they were only made aware by the neighbour.”

Ms Grewall said when Ryland returned a neighbour shot a video of him and his car registration plate. Police attended his address, and he was conveyed to Portsmouth custody.

She added it was raised culpability as there was “significant planning”.

Mitigating, Clare Dowse said it was not significant planning and was only an attempt – the offence was not completed.

She said it was an “unsophisticated offence”, in a built-up area and he was “easily seen due to the size of him”.

Ms Dowse called for a new community order to allow Ryland to continue working with probation to help his problem.

Recorder Osa Nsugbe QC sentenced Ryland to a three-year community order and ordered him to attend the Horizon programme, a programme to help convicted sex offenders.

He said: “You were convicted by the jury of attempting to observe persons doing private acts for the purposes of obtaining sexual gratification.

“You contested that case, the reason or the explanation was incredible. You continue to deny these allegations.

“There was some degree of planning, you clearly knew what you were doing because you persisted with it.

“You were there for some time, it seems to me inconceivable you would go to this house by chance.

“A custody sentence would have to be short, in my judgement that is not the best way to protect the public because you would come out with what is clearly still a problem.”

Ryland was also ordered to pay £3,500 in costs and was given a curfew between 7pm and 7am for six months.