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A Sydney landlord has been caught out after it was discovered he had set up hidden cameras in his property to spy on tenants.
Reported by A Current Affair, Adam Hansell, 42, regularly housed tenants in his mother's Cammery home, which he inherited after her death.
Mr Hansell is now accused of setting up a spy camera in a bathroom pot plant and recording his tenants and their visitors without their permission.
Lawrence Riley lived in Mr Hansell's home for three years and alerted police to his landlord's behaviour.
Mr Riley told A Current Affair he was using the bathroom when he noticed something in the pot plant that looked like a "normal USB stick".
"I had a look at what was in the USB webcam and it turned out it was myself and other housemates," he said.
"There were people as young as three and four years old on there, all using the bathroom, people using the showers.”
Mr Riley took the video straight to police who discovered additional footage showing Mr Hansell setting up the cameras.
When questioned by police, Mr Hansell admitted he was "ashamed" about the device.
After searching Mr Hansell's property, police found even more files from cameras he had set up in disabled toilets, believed to be at a pub or nightclub.
In another instance, Mr Hansell filmed the 21st birthday party of family friend, Dainan Zimmer.
"I wasn’t interested in having a party but Mr Hansell was pushing and pushing me to have one, so I ended up giving in," Mr Zimmer said.
Mr Zimmer was not captured on the spy camera but many of his guests were – including two children aged six and three.
"You don't expect that from someone you trust so much and has been there and has looked out for you," he said.
Mr Hansell has pleaded guilty to nine counts of filming a person in a private act without consent and is due to be sentenced in the coming months.
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