Churchdown man hid camera in alarm clock to secretly film women

Alex Russ has been sent to prison for six years and five months

Alex Russ
Author: Beth CrusePublished 7th Feb 2024

Churchdown man hid camera in alarm clock to secretly film women

A court’s heard how a man from Churchdown in Gloucester hid a camera in an alarm clock to secretly film women.

Alex Russ, 34, of Craven Drive, has been sent to jail for six years and five months for a string of offences including sexual assault which he carried out in 2015.

Gloucester Crown Court heard last week how Craven set up a camera in a washbag, and hid a camera in an alarm clock, to film women without their knowledge or consent.

He also sexually assaulted a woman while she was sleeping, after using his tablet device to search for sleep disorders involving sexual behaviour.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault against one woman, and two counts of voyeurism against two other women, during trial in October 2023.

He was sentenced to a jail term at Gloucester Crown Court last week. He’s also been handed restraining orders and put on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

A Gloucestershire Police officer who led the investigation said: "I believe the fact that he searched for sleep disorders show that Russ's actions were premeditated. He is a calculating individual.

"We would like to commend all three victims that came forward to speak to officers and support police action.

"Two of the victims felt that, at the time of initial reporting, they did not want to proceed with the investigation. This is the choice of any victim of any crime, and their decisions were respected at the time.

"They came back to police at a later stage, when they felt able to support the case.

"It cannot be underestimated the strength that each of these victims has shown in providing the evidence to take this forward."

Gloucestershire Police says it has a dedicated Rape and Serious Sexual Offences team with specialist detectives who treat every victim with respect.

They’re urging victims to come forward and report their crimes.