A CONVICTED rapist is back in jail after he admitted using a mobile phone to take films up women's skirts.
Trevor Jeffcoate admitted outraging public decency after police found the videos when he was arrested for a bag theft in the city.
Jeffcoate, 49, pleaded guilty at Nottingham Crown Court last month and was back in court for sentencing yesterday.
Judge Michael Stokes, QC, told him: "It seems to me that this case shows the only way to slow down your offending and stop it is to send you to prison."
The court heard police spotted Jeffcoate's phone fall to the ground as they arrested him for stealing a bag in the Old Market Square in July.
Five film clips were later found on the phone but police were unable to identify the victims.
Gareth Gimson, prosecuting, said: "It would seem he followed women in various locations and would film video clips up the ladies' skirts."
None of the victims would even have been aware of Jeffcoate's filming, the court heard.
Jeffcoate, of Sneinton Boulevard, has previous convictions for rape, an attempted sex offence and another separate one of outraging public decency – after, he again took pictures up women's skirts as they shopped at Asda, in Hyson Green, in 2008.
A Sexual Offences Prevention Order was made against him in September 2008, banning him having a camera in public or engaging in employment without informing Notts Police's Dangerous Persons Management Unit. In 1986, Jeffcoate received nine years for the rape, as well as burglary and attempted burglary, the court was told.
He was sentenced for outraging public decency in Asda in February 2008.
Judge Stokes sentenced him to 40 months in jail yesterday.
He handed Jeffcoate 12 months for outraging public decency; nine months consecutively for theft; six months consecutively for another theft; three months consecutively for a common assault on a security guard who tackled him at the time; and a further nine months concurrently for a third theft.
He had admitted all the charges.
A suspended sentence of ten months given to him last year for breaching the Sexual Offences Prevention Order – by signing with an employment agency and not declaring his convictions on paperwork – was also activated and added on to the total.
Judge Stokes told him the latest outraging public decency charge showed Jeffcoate's sexual problems were "deeply entrenched".
He added: "I gave you a real chance last year when I didn't send you to prison for breaching your court order and making false representation to obtain employment."
Jeffcoate is due to remain on the Sexual Offences Prevention Order for life.
In mitigation, Adrian Langdale told the court Jeffcoate had had a difficult childhood and suffered abuse as a young man.
He said there had been no sharing or distribution of the films and Jeffcoate had been trying hard to find work to keep himself occupied.
