Man, 37, pleads guilty after planting hidden cameras to take intimate photos of woman - which he sold on OnlyFans
Alexander Tang, 37, of Shiremoor, even used the woman’s ID to verify and legitimise the OnlyFans account.
A man from North Tyneside has pleaded guilty after selling non-consensual intimate pictures of a woman he obtained by planting hidden cameras.
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The case was brought against Alexander Tang, 37, by the victim-survivor herself, who built up a trove of evidence.
Initially, she was contacted by several men claiming to have spoken with her on social media and dating apps. She found the profiles were using images of her taken without her permission or knowledge.
Alarmingly, in some of the images she was either partially clothed or fully naked. She came to the horrifying realisation the images had been captured using hidden cameras set-up by Tang.
Further exploration by the woman matched several of these pictures to images posted across various websites, including the adult site OnlyFans.
Financial data examined by Northumbria Police connected Tang to the account and proved he had sold these non-consensual images for money being paid straight into his bank account.
In an attempt to verify and legitimise the OnlyFans account, Tang had also managed to take a photo of the woman’s ID to upload.
In total, 47 images and four videos were uploaded to the site which Tang had been profiting from. Upon arrest, Tang had several of his devices seized however repeatedly attempted to confound the investigation by withholding the passwords to these.
He also continually denied any wrongdoing when he was being interviewed by officers. However, in July, he pleaded guilty to one count of voyeurism at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court after being charged last December.
On August 11, Tang, now of Richardson Gardens, Shiremoor, but originally from the Loughbrough area, returned to the same court where he was given a 26-week prison sentence, suspended for two years.
As part of his sentence, Tang was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for seven years. He was also handed a ten-year restraining order to further protect the victim-survivor once he is released from custody.
He also must serve 300 hours of community service and was given a 35-day rehabilitation order – during which he will be supervised by the Probation Service.
'Relive the abuse'
At Tang’s sentencing hearing, in a Victim Personal Statement which the victim-survivor read before the court, she said: “The passage of time has not allowed me to move on. This has affected my mental health significantly. I have spent months working with a Rape Crisis therapist and have relied on counselling and support from my GP to help me cope with the anxiety, stress, nightmares and lack of sleep.
“Before this experience, I never truly understood why some victims of abuse withdraw from investigations or decide not to continue. I understand now.
“The process requires you to relive the abuse repeatedly. You are forced to revisit traumatic memories, review images and videos, and repeatedly tell your story. It is emotionally exhausting.”
However, her message to other victim-survivors going through any similar investigation would be to ‘just don’t give up’.
She added: “There have been times when it would have been easier to walk away. The reason I did not is because I could not bear the thought of someone else experiencing what I have been through.”
Talking about the lasting effect of Tang’s offending, she continued: “Tang’s actions have fundamentally changed how I live, how I trust people, and how safe I feel in everyday life.
“Although his guilty plea brought some relief and spared me the ordeal of a trial, it does not undo the harm that has been caused.
“Although these proceedings are reaching their conclusion, I will never have the certainty of knowing the full extent of what was recorded, shared or stored. The impact of that loss of that privacy and security will stay with me long after this court case has finished.”
In conclusion to her statement, she said: “I cannot get the images, the videos, or the degrading captions and comments associated with them out of my mind.
"Knowing that intimate images and videos of me were uploaded to dozens of websites, reposted and shared by strangers, is something I struggle with every day.”
During the course of the investigation, the woman was supported by Rape Crisis, a North East-based support service, and an Independent Sexual Violence Advocate – who provided counselling services, and then more practical guidance ahead of court proceedings.
She described the support she received from these services as ‘very supportive’ and has encouraged anyone else going through the same type of experience to utilise these to their fullest.
'Horrified'
Speaking on Tang’s sentencing, PC Alex Pattinson said: “I am horrified by Alexander Tang’s crime which is a clear violation of this woman’s expectation of privacy.
“No-one should ever experience what this woman has gone through – and to then learn Tang was then profiting from his deceitful offending must have been devastating.
“The victim-survivor has shown such courage and commitment in coming forward and reporting this behaviour to police – but the evidence she discovered against him meant Tang had little choice but to plead guilty.”
PC Pattinson added: “Now, everyone knows that Tang is a sex offender – and the court-imposed orders mean he’ll be monitored closely by police for some time.
“We won’t tolerate this type of offending, and we’d urge anyone who has been through anything similar to get in touch, so we can take action.”
Support & Advice
If this piece has affected you and you want to talk to someone, there are options available.
National Stalking Helpline 0808 802 0300
SHE UK - Call: 01623 622 916 Web: Get Help – SHE UK (she-uk.org.uk)
National Rape Crisis Helpline - Call: 0808 500 2222Web: Rape Crisis England & Wales
The Samaritans (24hr mental health helpline) - Call: 116 123Web: Samaritans