Luis Alberto Cancino Mena pleads guilty to intentionally recording intimate image

One of three female housemates secretly filmed in their shared bathroom by a Chilean national wants to see him “deported” after his lawyer said his client was “deeply remorseful”.

Luis Alberto Cancino Mena leaves Waverley Local Court. Picture: Madeleine Damo

One of three female housemates secretly filmed in their shared bathroom by a Chilean national wants to see him “deported” after his lawyer said his client was “deeply remorseful”.

Luis Alberto Cancino Mena, 39 faced Waverly Local Court on Thursday where he pleaded guilty to three counts of intentionally recording an intimate image without consent.

Mena is accused of using a small pen-shaped camera to record the three women he was living with in a Queens Park share house.

The covert camera was discovered by the property’s landlord sometime after the tenants had moved out, who alerted police.

One of the women said her former housemate’s actions were a complete betrayal, and she had never had reason to suspect anything.

“It was normal, normal interaction, friendly, everyone else in the house was, I didn’t expect this at all, he was someone I trusted,” she told media outside court.

“I want him to leave the country, to be deported, he’s not a good person to have here, for the safety of the victims.”

On Thursday the court heard Mena’s lawyers were seeking an adjournment due to a “significant issue” with the police facts.

While Mena’s plea will stay the same, it is understood there may be inaccuracies in the police fact sheet, regarding the length of time and number of occasions the women were allegedly filmed.

Speaking to this masthead, Mena’s solicitor Louis Katsinas said his client was “deeply distraught” by the impacts of his offending upon the women.

“He fully understand these young ladies will take some time to recover, and that they felt completely and utterly violated, he completely regrets what he did, if he could take it back he would,” Mr Katsinas said

“My client wants it out there, he feels a great deal or remorse and regret he’s really concerned about the impact it’s had on them,”

“They didn't deserve to be exposed to this behaviour.”

Mr Katsinas also said the offence represented a gross violation of the women's privacy.

Mena will remain on bail with his matters to return to Waverley Local Court on July 8.