A Sidmouth man has been jailed for secretly filming a teenaged girl as she stood naked in a shower.

Christopher Payne, of Orchard Close, hid a camera and made four films lasting a total of 52 minutes.

The films were found by accident on his computer and the victim was so shocked when she learned what he had done that she suffered a panic attack, Exeter Crown Court was told.

Payne was jailed after a judge told him his filming had a devastating effect on the victim.

He was also jailed for having an illegal collection of ammunition at his home in Sidmouth when police searched it to seize his computer.

Payne, 41, admitted four counts of voyeurism and one of possessing 14 images of a child which he took while spying on the girl.

He also admitted four charges of possessing ammunition, including expanding bullets, without authority and failing to keep a rifle securely, in breach of his firearms certificate.

He was jailed for a total of six months, ordered to sign on the sex offenders’ register and made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which restricts his contact with children and allows the police to monitor his use of the internet.

Sentencing at Exeter Crown Court, Recorder Mr Paul Garlick, QC, told Payne: “The girl has suffered panic attacks and it has had a devastating effect on her. There is no choice but to impose a custodial sentence. These offences are extremely serious and it is clear your actions have devastated the life of a young teenaged girl and she may never recover from that. I note you are a man of good character and I have read a pre-sentence report and references.”

Mr Richard Crabb, prosecuting, said the images were found by accident on Payne’s computer and found to show a teenage girl taking showers. He said there were video files in an unmarked folder and had apparently been filmed by attaching a camera to a stand.

There were also three deleted videos of the same place with no-one present which looked as if they were trial runs, added the prosecutor.

Mr Crabb said: “The four videos showed the girl using the wash basin, brushing her hair, and taking showers in a shower which had a glass or Perspex panel.

“She is fully visible behind the panel where she was fully exposed without clothing. The four videos were 18, 14, seven and 13 minutes long. The other indecent images were also found on his computer.”

Mr Sean Brunton, defending, said Payne is extremely embarrassed and remorseful about what he had done. He said he was a collector of ammunition and none of the bullets were capable of being fired by any of the weapons which Payne held lawfully.

Mr Brunton said Payne works as a cleaner and lives at home with his mother.