A VOYEUR secretly filmed women police officers getting changed and caused a paedophile investigation to collapse after stealing a laptop.

Christopher Richardson-Blake installed a secret camera in a ceiling at Abingdon Police Station and recorded three women undressing and using the showers.

Oxford Crown Court heard that while working as a maintenance engineer, Richardson-Blake, 32, of Foxdown Terrace, Wellington, stole a laptop confiscated from a suspected paedophile who, as a result, was never charged.

Jonathan Stone, prosecuting, said the former RAF airman was caught when his wife found the covert foot-age on a laptop and took it to the police.

He told Judge Ian Pringle two female officers and a civilian worker were captured by the secret camera in June and July, 2011.

When police raided Richardson-Blake’s home they discovered four more miniature cameras, as well as cameras concealed in a key fob and a plastic coat hook.

Mr Stone said they also found the stolen laptop, the loss of which sparked an internal enquiry in the paedophile investigation team.

He said the women recorded by Richardson-Blake, who worked for maintenance firm Initial Facilities, were left shaken and anxious with one terrified that the footage would appear on YouTube.

Justine Davidge, defending, said Richardson-Blake was depressed and his behaviour was for his own “sexual gratification”.

She said: “He was very unhappy at the time. He was having marital problems which had started in 2008 when their marriage started.

“He left the RAF around that time and had problems adjusting to civilian life.”

Miss Davidge said Richardson-Blake, whose wife has since left him, had no idea of the upset he would cause or that he would derail a police investigation.

Judge Pringle said he accepted that the defendant had no previous convictions, that his remorse was genuine and that he had impressive character references.

Sentencing Richardson-Blake to ten months’ prison, the judge said his actions had a “devastating” eff-ect on his victims.

Judge Pringle said: “This was probably one of the worst abuses of trust you could commit.

“The place where these women worked was akin in many ways to their own homes.”

Richardson-Blake was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for ten years and handed a sexual offences prevention order.

DCI Mark Johns said: “This was a complete invasion of privacy against employees of Thames Valley Police.

“I’d like to commend the professionalism of all the victims and the professional way staff have dealt with these offences coming to light.”