Matthew Page, 62, of Newport: Airbnb host allegedly recorded intimate images of guests, including girl, 13
A Sydney Airbnb host allegedly recorded intimate images of his guests with hidden cameras over a two-year period.
Manly
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A Sydney Airbnb host has been accused of secretly recording intimate images of guests – including one as young as 13 years old.
Matthew Page, 62, of Newport – who is facing a total of 37 charges – also allegedly used a listening device to record 13 people staying at his home on the northern beaches.
Mr Page allegedly recorded the images over a period dating from March 2021 to January, 2023.
The people who had their intimate images recorded included eight women and four men as well as the teenage girl.
Police alleged in documents tendered to Manly Local Court that a number of the intimate images were recorded when a man and a woman were in the house at the same time and date.
He is also charged with filming two other women at another house in Newport in March this year.
The court also heard on Thursday that Mr Page was facing an allegation that he produced child abuse material when the 13-year-old girl was at the house over a six-day period.
He was also charged with possessing child abuse material.
In documents tendered to court, police alleged that 22 MP4 video files were on a laptop belonging to Mr Page.
He has also been charged with repeatedly stalking or intimidating the woman he allegedly filmed in another house, between March 4 and April 4 this year.
Mr Page has been charged with 15 counts of intentionally record intimate image without consent; 13 counts of install or use a listening device to record without consent; seven counts of stalk or intimidate intending to cause fear of physical or mental harm and; one count each of produce child abuse material and possess child abuse material.
The documents stated the alleged offenced occured “within the Airbnb” at the same location listed in documents as Mr Page’s home address.
No pleas have yet been entered to any of 37 charges.
The court was told that the matters have been referred to the Office of the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions, which prosecutes serious indictable cases — offences where the accused has the right to have the matter heard before a Judge and jury in a higher court.
Magistrate Robert William adjourned the matters to the Sydney Downing Centre Local Court to check on the status of the brief of evidence, on October 31.
Under Airbnb’s policy for the use of camera’s and recording devices, its host can only place cameras and noise monitoring devices in public spaces such as the driveway or front door. These devices must be disclosed in the property’s listing description.
Cameras and recording devices are not allowed, as part of the policy, to be installed in private spaces such as “bedrooms, bathrooms or common areas being used as sleeping areas, like a living room with a sofa bed”.
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