A paramedic from Thetford, Norfolk, has been struck off following a conviction for voyeurism after filming a woman undressing in a swimming pool changing cubicle. Benjamin Southam was caught holding his phone beneath the dividing wall of the cubicle as the woman, who was preparing her son for a swimming lesson, noticed the device recording with its red light on.

According to court testimony, the woman initially assumed the phone belonged to her son, but upon seeing an adult male holding the device, she left her cubicle and confronted Southam, demanding he stop recording. When questioned, Southam initially claimed that his baby had been handling the phone, a version he repeated to the leisure centre staff. He later admitted to police that he held the phone for between 10 and 20 seconds and took a video, which he subsequently deleted.

Southam was convicted at Ipswich Crown Court in June 2025 and was sentenced to an 18-month community order. He was made subject to a five-year sexual harm prevention order and was placed on the sex offenders’ register for the same duration.

The Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service (HCPTS) has now removed Southam from the paramedics’ register. Southam did not attend the tribunal hearing, but a representative stated that he had been experiencing mental health difficulties and suicidal thoughts at the time of the offence. Southam explained that his intent was not to record the woman for sexual gratification but rather to “elicit a response” as a distraction from his mental health struggles. It was noted that Southam was not on duty or in uniform when the incident occurred.

The HCPTS panel found that Southam showed no genuine remorse and had not demonstrated efforts to address his behaviour. Despite entering a late guilty plea in court, the panel viewed it as an attempt to reduce his sentence rather than an indication of insight. The tribunal also expressed concern over the risk of repeated misconduct and emphasized the potential shock of the public knowing that a paramedic with such a conviction might attend to them or their relatives in an emergency.

Citing the serious nature of the offence and the implications for public trust, the panel concluded that Southam’s fitness to practise was impaired, leading to his removal from the professional register.