BBC reveals 'disturbing' documentary exploring dark world of spycamming
Jess Davies is fronting a "horrific" new documentary which has uncovered hidden camera footage being secretly filmed and shared online.
A new BBC documentary has uncovered hidden camera footage being secretly filmed and shared online.
Welsh presenter Jess Davies has gone undercover for new series Hunting the Spycammers, which has found people bragging about filming their wives, girlfriends and strangers with their knowledge, with spycams hidden in bedrooms, bathrooms, changing rooms and other private spaces.
The documentary is set to air on BBC's YouTube channels and iPlayer on July 15.
Jess said: "It’s a never-ending cycle of mass distribution of non-consensual content of women.
"It feels like these women are being hunted down and prayed upon.”
The project is a personal one for the presenter, who was secretly photographed naked while she was sleeping, with the image shared on a private WhatsApp group.
During the investigation, Jess discovers all sorts of spycam tech, including cheap cameras disguised as everyday objects like plugs, air fresheners and pens.
One woman found a tiny camera hidden under a toilet seat when she went to the bathroom at a popular high street restaurant chain.
Jess has worked with investigative journalist Liam Connell on the project, and together they found a voyeur website which acts as a hub for users to link to encrypted chat groups.
On there, they discovered illegal and non-consensual footage being shared anonymously, including by users in the UK.
The pair posed as a new "spycammer" asking for advice, and managed to infiltrate the groups from the inside.
The BBC said in a press release: "The evidence they uncover is deeply disturbing: perpetrators openly swapping stories of and tips on how to secretly film family members, partners, flatmates and strangers in private moments like sleeping, showering, changing - and boasting about the footage they captured."
Sian Harris, Commissioning Editor for BBC Cymru Wales, noted that the "horrific thought" of being a victim to spycamming is something that will resonate with viewers.
She added: “Anyone who watches this film will relate to the horrific thought of being filmed by a secret camera in those private spaces: a bedroom, the shower, a changing room.
"Jess and Liam’s compelling investigation not only reveals this as a growing crime, but shines a light on the shady places where non-consensual videos are being traded and asks the questions we’d all want answers to about how and why is this happening.”
