A lifeguard who spied on women as they got changed after swimming has been ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for five years.

21-year-old John Jackson was working at Larkfield Leisure Centre on Thursday, August 6 when he was caught by a woman looking over the top of the cubicle she was changing in.

The woman, who was only wearing a towel, screamed and alerted management who scoured CCTV and discovered Jackson had committed three similar offences the previous day.

Now unemployed and living in Ruskin Close, East Malling, Jackson already admitted four counts of attempted voyeurism when he appeared at Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court last month.

This week he was back at the same court to be sentenced.

Before magistrates revealed his sentence, Sarah Worsley for the Crown Prosecution Service read a statement from Jackson’s victim.

She said: “I used to enjoy swimming and my husband and I went a couple of times as week. Now we don’t go at all. I don’t even like going in changing rooms when I’m shopping. My husband feels guilty because he let me go to the changing room by myself.

“Swimming has been my only form of exercise and this person has taken that away from me. He has made me paranoid and less trusting of people.”

Defending, Eleanor Dobson said Jackson was deeply ashamed of his behaviour at the leisure centre in New Hythe Lane and stressed he had not seen any intimate part of the woman’s body as the towel was covering her.

She said: “The CCTV shows... Mr Jackson peeking over the top of the cubicle for very short periods of time, a matter of seconds on each occasion.”

She said the consequences for Jackson of being convicted of a sex offence and being made to sign the sex offenders’ register would be far reaching and he would be unlikely to work as a lifeguard again.

But the magistrates felt the crime deserved a hefty punishment.

Chairman of the bench Abigail Brennan told Jackson: “We consider it is serious enough for a community order which will last 24 months.”

She also ordered him to complete two rehabilitation courses and pay a total of £395, including £100 compensation to his victim.

During yesterday's 40-minute hearing Jackson, wearing a grey coat buttoned up to his neck, spoke only to thank magistrates for their time as he left court.

Martin Guyton, chief executive at Tonbridge and Malling Leisure Trust, which runs Larkfield Leisure Centre, told KentOnline's sister paper the Kent Messenger after Jackson’s last court appearance: “We take the health, safety and privacy of those using our facilities extremely seriously.

"The member of staff resigned from his post with immediate effect before his disciplinary hearing and we have since written to him banning him from all our sites.

“This is an isolated incident and we will continue to be vigilant and ensure we maintain appropriate safeguards to prevent future incidents of this nature.”

Watch: Today's news on KMTV