First Accused of Voyeurism Under New British Law

An Italian-born computer programmer has made British legal history: He is the first ever to be accused of voyeurism under a two-year-old British law, charged with renting a Croydon home to overseas students and filming them with furtive CCTV devices between early May and mid-July.

Francesco Vitetta is also accused of violating copyright laws regarding over 600 DVDs found at the property he rented to the students.

Vitetta is being charged under the Sexual Offences Act of 2003, the first time anyone has been charged formally of voyeurism under the law, according to British police, who added he could be looking at two years behind bars if convicted. The law specifically bans installing equipment to get sexual gratification by seeing others in private behavior without their consent.

Vitetta’s attorney Gary Monk told a court his client would deny the charges, while prosecutor Peter Bonham was quoted as saying the crimes he's accused of committing happened repeatedly from May 1 to July 17. Bonham also pushed to get the case heard by a higher British court, and chairman of the bench Michael Watkinson – after freeing Vitetta on bail – ordered him for a Croydon Crown Court hearing December 22.