A man who lurked in the changing rooms as children got ready for a swimming pool disco has been suspended by his university.
Peter Ridges was caught on CCTV popping in and out of changing cubicles and following children around Perth Leisure Pool.
Staff at the centre were suspicious of his motivation to pay to enter the pool on a Saturday evening when the swim disco - aimed at young children - was on.
Ridges admitted following children around changing rooms at Perth Leisure Pool and listening to them while they stripped and changed into swimming costumes.
He had initially denied any offence but changed his plea to admit amended charges during the trial after CCTV evidence was shown of him lurking in the changing room.
Ridges was shown watching young girls entering changing cubicles before wandering into the neighbouring cubicle himself. He was only wearing swim shorts as he repeatedly walked around the changing rooms.
The CCTV showed him furtively looking at groups of children - aged from 8 to 14 - before deciding which cubicle he should enter next.
When the children finished changing and exited the cubicle, Ridges is seen to exit the adjacent cubicle shortly after - wearing exactly the same as he did when he entered.
Pool staff told the trial that they thought it highly unusual that any adult on their own would want to attend the Saturday night event which is staged for young children.
Police were called in when Ridges, from Edinburgh, turned up again to the kids' disco on the corresponding weekend exactly a year later and was recognised by staff.
Reception worker Fiona Pallister, 44, said: "It's the kids' disco on a Saturday night. It's full of children with loud music. Not many people come in on their own. One guy came in.
"He said he was meeting somebody down in the leisure pool, so he wanted to go down there. He just asked for a swim. I just thought it was very odd.
"It wasn't sitting right with me. My colleague came to see where he was several times that night and he was never actually in the swimming pool.
"He was just in the changing rooms the whole time and round the toilets. He came up the stairs without his shoes on. He put his shoes on and left."
She said Ridges first visit was on February 9, 2019 and he returned on February 8, 2020 and paid to attend the swim disco on his own again.
"It was a year to the day and I was on again. He never went downstairs. He was just looking over into the leisure pool. The duty manager said to phone the police."
The court was told that Ridges disappeared into a toilet when police arrived and after "around 10 minutes" officers went in to tell him to come out.
Duty manager Susan Chmiel told the court: "We contacted the police about a gentleman who was at the pool acting suspiciously.
"We believed he was looking predominantly at girls in the changing rooms. He was wearing pretty much exactly the same as he was the previous year."
Ridges, 59, from Willow Tree Place, denied recording "by unknown means" while following children around the changing area.
He denied conducting himself in a disorderly manner and breaching the peace by 'loitering' in the changing area at Perth Leisure Pool on February 9, 2019. He denied watching and following children and then watching them enter cubicles before entering an adjacent cubicle himself. He denied leaving cubicles after the children exit.
Ridges also denied breaching the peace on February 8, 2020 by 'loitering in the changing room for a period of time and repeatedly recording by means unknown'.
Solicitor Gary McAteer said his client had changed his plea "on the basis that charges contain no significant sexual element."
Mr McAteer said that Ridges may be on the autistic spectrum and accepted that his behaviour was "odd and eccentric."
"He has no criminal record," the lawyer said. "His intention at this time was to simply heat up after a day walking in the hills."
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