Luke Spencer Tregloan entered private property and peered over fences to film his victims, court told
Children’s app creator Luke Tregloan filmed women through their windows before photographing their mail so he could “put names to faces”, a court has heard.
Police & Courts
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A peeping Tom who filmed people undressing or engaging in sexual activity through the windows of their homes also photographed their mail so he could “put names to faces”, a court has heard.
Children’s app creator Luke Spencer Tregloan pleaded guilty to possessing and accessing child exploitation material and filming women and girls without their knowledge.
On Wednesday the 46-year-old appeared in the District Court for sentencing submissions on all charges.
Tregloan read an apology to the court in which he addressed one of the seven victims of his indecent filming.
The court heard the other six victims had not wished to receive an apology.
“Since my arrest in July 2020 I have done a lot of self reflection,” he said.
“I am deeply remorseful for my behaviour and deeply sorry for filming you in your own home without your knowledge.
“These are not just words. I am truly, deeply sorry. I am disgusted with myself.”
Judge Joana Fuller heard Tregloan had a “sheltered upbringing” and life of comfort but had fallen apart when his video production business ran into financial trouble.
In 2019, Tregloan and a business partner launched a smartphone app for children featuring scenes filmed at destinations such as Kangaroo Island, Hahndorf, Monarto Zoo and the River Torrens.
The app shows Australian animal characters singing educational songs for kids.
Casey Isaacs, for Tregloan, said his client had begun drinking heavily and suffered from mental health issues during that time.
While dealing with those issues, Mr Isaacs said, his client had begun filming people through the windows of their homes.
Tregloan was arrested on July 10, 2020, after the South Australia Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team received a tip-off from the Australian Federal Police-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation.
Police found child exploitation videos and photos hidden in a password-protected file on his phone.
Also stored in the file were the videos recorded outside people’s homes and photos of mail taken from some.
Mr Isaacs said the photos were only an attempt by his client to put “a name to faces”.
A psychiatrists’ report prepared for the court stated Tregloan’s predilection for young girls was “situational and not preferential” and arose from his circumstances at the time.
Mr Isaacs asked the court to suspend any sentence handed to Tregloan or allow his client to spend his sentence on home detention.
Commonwealth prosecutor Brooke Sette said Tregloan lacked an understanding of the seriousness of his offending.
“In his police interview (Tregloan) said the videos were ‘not very clear footage’,” she said.
“The film does not need to be clear, it is an invasion of privacy regardless of the quality of the footage.”
Ms Sette said Tregloan had downloaded an app which allowed him to store pictures and video in a password protected folder on October 4, 2019.
Only hours after downloading the app he made six recordings, including one set at 10.09pm and then at 10.36pm at the same house of the same victim.
The prosecution accepted that Tregloan had ceased offending of his own volition.
He will appear in court again in August.
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