Pervert's-eye view: Twisted businessman uses bird statues to secretly film male backpackers showering and sleeping - but he claims he DIDN'T KNOW it was illegal
- Conrad-River Owen Cosgrove filmed four backpackers inside his QLD home
- Dutch backpacker Maron de Rooij noticed the cameras inside the shower
- Police raided the Sunshine Coast property on May 29 after complaints
- He plead guilty and received two concurrent six-month jail terms
A pervert businessman who filmed four backpackers while they showered and slept at his house claimed he didn't know it was illegal.
Conrad-River Owen Cosgrove placed hidden cameras inside his home in the Glass House Mountains on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, filming naive backpackers who were working for his Animal Ark Transport business.
The cameras had been hidden in walls, shelves, bird statues and in the bathroom - along with one microphone.
Conrad-River Owen Cosgrove placed hidden cameras inside his home in the Glass House Mountains on Queensland's Sunshine Coast
The first thing company manager Conrad Cosgrove pointed out was an infrared light (left) in the ceiling, which Mr de Rooij claims was actually a hidden camera
Dutch backpacker, Maron de Rooij, 26, called police after he grew suspicious of the amount of light in the shared bathroom and after Cosgrove instructed him to 'shower every day'.
Mr de Rooij also noticed unusual holes in the bed frame and cupboards that were inside his living quarters.
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The Maroochydore Magistrates Court heard on Thursday that police raided Cosgrove's demountable homes on May 29.
During the search officers discovered six cameras and an audio wire that reached from de Rooij's accommodation 10m into Cosgrove's, as reported by The Sunshine Coast Daily.
Dutch backpacker, Maron de Rooij, 26, called police after he grew suspicious of the amount of light in the shared bathroom
Conrad-River Owen Cosgrove placed hidden cameras inside his home in the Glass House Mountains on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, filming naive backpackers
Police then found seven extra cameras in a container and more angled to face the shared shower.
Cosgrove admitted to planting the cameras which had secretly filmed four young foreigners since February.
Cosgrove had saved the footage claiming it was for 'personal gratification' but said he didn't know he was breaking the law in doing so.
'I did not realise I was breaking the law, that's only an explanation, it's not an excuse,' Cosgrove said.
Mr de Rooij also noticed unusual holes in the bed frame and cupboards that were inside his living quarters
During the search officers discovered six cameras and an audio wire
He said he'd seen similar things online and thought he wasn't doing anything wrong.
Cosgrove said he always tried to do the right thing and regularly obeyed driving laws.
'Morally it's not right, I do understand that, I do try to do the right thing as much as I can,' he said.
'Particularly with driving, I observe speed limits, school zones, I indicate even when nobody is around.'
Seargent Kennedy-Grills told the court Cosgrove lured backpackers to work at his farm by offering food, accommodation and pay via an online job advertisement.
Two other victims returned overseas and were unreachable while another remained in Australia but declined to make a complaint.
Cosgrove pleaded guilty on Thursday morning to making observations or recordings in breach of privacy, and to possessing tainted property.
He said his business had collapsed as a result of what happened and he had confined himself to his house out of embarrassment.
Magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist sentenced Cosgrove to two concurrent six-month jail terms for both offences, suspended for 18 months.
Police raided Cosgrove's demountable homes on May 29
