A 61-YEAR-OLD sex offender has been banned indefinitely from carrying a camera in public after he was caught taking a photo up a woman's skirt.Trevor Chatters, of Coronilla Green, Gorleston, spent more than decade building up a DVD library of women and girls he had filmed in public places - until he was caught by British Transport Police (BTP) taking a photo up a woman's skirt on an escalator at Piccadilly Circus tube station in London on June 28.

A 61-YEAR-OLD sex offender has been banned indefinitely from carrying a camera in public after he was caught taking a photo up a woman's skirt.

Trevor Chatters, of Coronilla Green, Gorleston, spent more than decade building up a DVD library of women and girls he had filmed in public places - until he was caught by British Transport Police (BTP) taking a photo up a woman's skirt on an escalator at Piccadilly Circus tube station in London on June 28.

After pleading guilty to a charge of outraging public decency, Chatters was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court last Monday, November 9.

After using a concealed camera to make the films, stockpiling the images at home for his 'sexual gratification', as the court heard, Chatters was found to be in possession of a large number of indecent images.

His behaviour came to light after he was spotted filming a 12-year-old girl who was watching the Lord Mayor procession in Norwich this July and he also admitted this second charge of making indecent images of a child.

Speaking about the case this week, BTP Detective Sergeant Fraser Scott, one of the investigating officers, said that Chatters was originally arrested by BTP in June.

'Chatters was caught taking a photo up a woman's skirt on an escalator at Piccadilly Circus station and confronted by the woman's boyfriend,' he said. 'BTP officers were patrolling nearby and arrived at the scene very quickly where they immediately arrested him.

'Not only did officers find the Piccadilly Circus image on his camera, a search of his house uncovered hundreds of other similar images.'

Sentencing took this evidence into consideration, as well as an additional recent conviction for taking pictures that outraged public decency on Norfolk Police ground.

Chatters received a 36 month community order with supervision requirements and will have to attend a sex offender's programme. He will also sign the sex offenders register for five years.

Anti-Social Behaviour Order also issued to Chatters prohibits him from having in his possession, in any public place, any device designed for or capable of capturing, sending or receiving an image. This includes all cameras, camcorders and camera equipped mobile telephones.

'Although this type of offence is not common, it is completely unacceptable," added DS Scott.

'Chatters has a very disturbing obsession with taking voyeuristic photographs of women and this ASBO will help to prevent him from continuing with this disgusting behaviour.'

Mike Maynard, Head of Operational Support at London Underground said: 'We want our passengers to feel safe and comfortable on our network and Chatter's unacceptable behaviour is not the sort that we will tolerate. This verdict should act as a reminder to anyone willing to commit any sort of crimes on the Underground that we will identify them and bring them to justice."

During the court hearing last week, it emerged that Chatters kept on file a record of all the schools in the country, and attended cross country school meetings to seek new victims.

Following his arrest on July 17, police searched his house and found a number of DVDs containing similar shots which he filmed between 1997 and this year.

On the camera device they found images of 17 females he had filmed.

On sentencing, Judge Alistair Darroch said: 'This is offensive, upsetting behaviour and it has got to stop. My duty is to try and protect the public and the 12-year-old girls you film.'

Appearing in a grey suit and tie, Chatters was visibly distressed throughout the proceedings, spending much of them looking down and rubbing his forehead.

Prosecuting Lori Tucker said: 'When interviewed he said he filmed up the skirts of females using a digital video camera for his own sexual gratification. He said he had done it before and it was difficult for him to curb his want to do it.

'He had a database of all the schools in the UK, which he uses to take photographs of girls. He attended school cross country meets to see and photographs girls in their knickers. This is something this defendant has had trouble with for some years.'

The court heard Chatters, who has no family and lives alone, had previous convictions for threatening and disorderly behaviour and for indecent exposure.

His first charge for taking indecent photographs was in 2000 when he was caught outside Norwich High School for Girls, in Newmarket Road.

He was before the courts again in 2004 after being caught taking pictures of women from beneath Yarmouth Pier.

In mitigation Michael Clare said: 'This defendant acknowledges that he has a serious problem.

'He says that he is unable to stop his offending behaviour without help. It's not something he wants to carry on doing, but without help he won't be able to help himself.

'He doesn't seek to have contact with, hurt, or contact anybody.'