Brandon Politano: Bomaderry man sentenced for hiding camera in female friend’s bedroom

A man who stashed a golf ball-sized camera beneath his female friend’s dresser in a disturbing bid to capture sexually explicit images of her in the privacy of her South Coast home, has been sentenced for the creepy offending.

Brandon Politano hid the camera in the woman's room to capture sexually explicit images. Picture: Tom McGann

A man who stashed a golf ball-sized camera beneath his female friend’s dresser in a bid to capture sexually explicit images of her in the privacy of her South Coast home, has been sentenced for the disturbing offending.

Brandon Politano, 30, faced Nowra Local Court on Tuesday charged with installing a device to observe or film another.

The Bomaderry man pleaded guilty to the offence, which occurred after a female friend entrusted him to care for her dogs while she was away earlier this year.

Court documents state Politano agreed to stay at the woman’s home to watch her dogs, but during the visit installed a golf ball-sized camera beneath her bedroom dresser.

When she returned, the woman noticed a power board had been moved from the top of the dresser to the floor.

Brandon Politano was sentenced in Nowra Local Court on Tuesday. Picture: John Appleyard

Pulling it out, she discovered a small camera purchased from online retailer ‘Temu’ connected underneath.

She confronted Politano, who “immediately confessed”.

Brandon Politano leaving Nowra Local Court. Picture: Tom McGann

The offending was reported to police, who arrested and charged Politano on February 6 following investigations.

He was later granted bail.

In court on Tuesday, Politano’s lawyer, Joseph La Cava, said his client struggled with serious mental health issues, which impaired his ability to grasp the wrongfulness of his actions.

But Magistrate Lisa Viney said the offence was a clear and serious invasion of privacy.

“You installed the camera in the hope it would capture images of the woman in her own premises,” she said.

“There was an intention to capture intimate images and it was committed in a home where someone should feel privacy.”

Politano was convicted and sentenced to a two-year community corrections order.

He was also ordered to undergo mental health treatment.

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