Tain Stewart Stephens (insert) has been accused of hiding a camera inside the women’s bathrooms at the Australian Defence Force Academy (main image). Photos: Albert McKnight/James Coleman.
CONTENT WARNING: This article refers to alleged intimate image abuse.
A male cadet has been accused of hiding a spy camera inside a soap dispenser to secretly film women while they were in the showers at the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Academy.
The ACT Magistrates Court heard that when the authorities went looking for 20-year-old Tain Stewart Stephens regarding the camera, he apparently tried to hide from them inside a waste cupboard.
A resident and staff members allegedly found a camera that had been hidden inside a soap dispenser in a bathroom at the Canberra facility on Saturday (9 May), an ACT Policing spokesperson said.
“After engagement with the operators and some residents of the facility, a person of interest was identified,” the police spokesperson said.
Police raided Mr Stephens’ room, seized his electronic devices and charged him with five counts of capturing visual data.
On Monday (11 May), prosecutor Emma Bayliss told the Magistrates Court his alleged offending was “calculated and premeditated”.
She alleged that he installed a camera with a wireless transmitter and a power bank in the dispenser in the women’s showers.
Ms Bayliss said investigators found 17 soap dispensers had been tampered with across the ADF campus, but only one hidden device had been found.
She said police had only looked at five videos so far. But when they searched two of Mr Stephens’ electronic devices, they allegedly found about 40,000 files they needed to examine.
Tain Stewart Stephens, 20, has been granted bail on charges of capturing visual data. Photo: Albert McKnight.
While reading documents tendered to the court, Special Magistrate Lucinda Wilson said it appeared members of the ADF had found Mr Stephens in a waste cupboard.
“Is the allegation that he was hiding, or is that normal to be in a waste cupboard?” she asked.
Ms Bayliss said he was alleged to have been hiding in that location.
Mr Stephens applied for bail, which Ms Bayliss opposed, and his duty lawyer from Legal Aid said if he were released, he could live with his parents under what would essentially be house arrest in Queensland.
She said her client had no prior criminal history and noted his father had driven from Queensland to the ACT so he could be in the courtroom for his son’s bail application that morning.
Her client moved to Canberra in 2024 and had been suspended from the ADF due to his charges, the lawyer said.
Special Magistrate Lucinda Wilson told Ms Stephens she didn’t condone his behaviour in hiding from the authorities.
She decided sending him to jail while the investigation continued would not be appropriate, but she also said, “It was a borderline case”.
The special magistrate granted bail on conditions, including that he live at his parents’ home and only leave if he is in their company. He cannot be within 100 metres of the academy and cannot access any device capable of recording images or using the internet.
The matter was adjourned to 7 July. No pleas were entered.
If this story has raised any concerns for you, 1800RESPECT, the national 24-hour sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling line, can be contacted on 1800 737 732. Help and support are also available through the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre on (02) 6247 2525, the Domestic Violence Crisis Service ACT on (02) 6280 0900, the Sexual Violence Legal Services on 6257 4377 and Lifeline on 13 11 14. In an emergency, call triple zero.
If you have been affected by sexual violence, or someone you know has, you can report it to authorities by attending a police station or phoning 131 444.
Original Article published by Albert McKnight on Region Canberra.
