Office cleaner used his job as a front to film women using the facilities

A Spanish cleaner tried to flee to Madrid after he was caught attempting to filming a women using office toilets for the second time, a court heard.

Elmin Hernandez-Rivera, 39, used his job to sneak abound the various rest rooms in the offices he was sent to.

He was at a block in Farringdon when he wrapped his camera phone in tissue paper and a blue cleaning cloth and hid it next to the WC in a ladies communal toilet.

Hernandez-Rivera locked himself in the adjacent cubicle, placed an “out of order” sign on the door, and waited for an unsuspecting woman to use the facilities.

The father-of-two, of Cranwich Road, Stamford Hill, pleaded guilty at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court and as handed a two-year community order, fined £135 and made to sign the sex offenders register for five years.

He claimed he was remorseful as his wife sobbed at the back of the court.

But Westminster Magistrates Court today (Thurs) heard he also hid in the female bathrooms at Heron Tower in Bishopsgate, on the morning of 25 April 2023.

He poked his phone through to the cubicle next to him to film the woman at the famous City landmark.

When confronted for his actions, Hernandez-Rivera said he had ‘mental health issues’ he needed to address.

Following his arrest, he bought a one-way flight to Madrid but was stopped by Sussex police at Gatwick.

Hernandez-Rivera appeared the aid of a Spanish interpreter and admitted one charge of voyeurism.

Ms Mewesh Shah, prosecuting, ‘This incident occurred on Tuesday 25 April 2023, between 8:50am and 9am in the female toilets of the Heron Tower building.

‘In the bathroom, there were five cubicles of which all were occupied bar one, which the victim found odd, so she had no choice but to go to this cubicle.

‘She couldn’t hear anyone else in the other toilets. She started to do her business and she finished and stood up.

‘She then looked up and saw a hand poking up through a tile holding a blue iPhone and it appeared to be filming her.

‘The victim screamed and pushed the tile closed and ran out the toilets into the office. She looked back to see the defendant running to the male toilets from the female toilets.

‘She challenged him, told him she saw him filming and demanded he show her his phone. When she did so he produced a different phone.

‘After much back and forth he eventually showed her the other blue phone.

‘The defendant said sorry and showed the victim the two videos. She has asked him to delete those videos, and further from the “deleted album” as well.

‘The victim says she is unsure if he did or didn’t.

‘When asked by the victim why he did what he did he said: “I’m really sorry I have a lot of things going on at home, I need to see a specialist in mental health issues.

‘I’ve got a lot of things going on right now.”

‘The victim reported the incident to HR and the defendant was notified by the company.’

After his arrest Hernandez-Rivera attempted to flee the country.

Ms Shah added: ‘On 23 May [2023] Sussex police from Gatwick were alerted that the defendant had booked a flight to Madrid which was a one-way ticket.

‘Essentially he’s been in hiding for that period of time, between being arrested and his court appearance for this offence.’

Hernandez-Rivera, of Bradstock Road, Hackney, admits one count of voyeurism.

He will next attend Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 28 September for sentence.

Hernandez-Rivera was granted bail until then.

As a condition of bail, he must surrender his passport and he must not apply for new international travel documents.

He is prohibited from going to Heron Tower, must report to Bethnal Green police station each week, and reside each night at his home address.
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