‘Everything is tainted’: Victims of former police prosecutor speak in court
A woman and a teenage girl have described in court the moment their lives were shattered after discovering former police prosecutor Simon Luebbers had secretly recorded them undressing.
Additional tissue boxes were taken into the courtroom as the victims – whose identities have been suppressed by the court – and family members spoke of the hurt and betrayal they felt after learning of Luebbers’ crimes.
Former police prosecutor Simon Luebbers arrives at Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.Credit:Wayne Taylor
The teenager told Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court she had struggled to reconcile with her body as a result of the offending. She had stopped eating and had self-harmed to deal with the pain.
“I felt violated and disgusted at myself,” she said fighting back tears. “Everything is tainted. School is hard to get to. I can’t get through the day without getting flashbacks.”
The teenager’s mother – who is not a primary victim of Luebbers – said she would carry the emotional toll of exposing her children to him for the rest of her life, and told the court, “If you could die of guilt and shame I would be dead.”
“I carry this alone,” she said. “I will never forgive myself for the harm I had exposed them to.”
Simon Luebbers outside Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court after a hearing last week.Credit:Nine News
Luebbers, 44, secretly recorded the 13-year-old girl and the woman undressing, and distributed videos of the woman to other men.
He has admitted to covertly filming the woman on seven occasions over a five-year period, hiding recording devices in two locations where she was showering.
He has also admitted to secretly recording the girl and producing three videos that he stored on a secure app on his mobile phone.
Luebbers wore a face mask and sunglasses as he walked into court with his parents on Wednesday, using his suit jacket to conceal his face.
The former police prosecutor pleaded guilty to five charges, including producing and possessing child exploitation material, and stalking. He will be sentenced on Thursday.
The adult victim, who is not related to the girl, said her life had been “irreversibly shattered” by the events, and she struggled to shower in her own home.
The woman told the court the thought that intimate images of her could be found on the internet made her sick to her stomach, and she could no longer trust others.
“I don’t know the full extent of the offending, and I am never going to fully know,” she said. “It’s like there is now nowhere that I feel safe … The overwhelming feeling of betrayal just won’t stop.”
Prosecutor Anne-Marie Stephanides said Luebbers had actively targeted the woman by installing and removing the camera from the locations where she was showering, to avoid detection.
He recorded seven videos, which he turned into eight shorter clips and 1116 still images. He was also found in possession of another 103 images of the woman “in various states of undress” that were similar to the others but did not come from the videos.
Luebbers also had two videos of other men masturbating to the footage of the woman undressing, which police say is proof he distributed the videos.
“It’s fair to say that because of what he’s done to me, it’s hard to imagine trusting anyone fully ever again or living a carefree life,” the woman told the court.
Investigators uncovered the images while examining electronic devices Luebbers had handed in voluntarily for an unrelated matter. They later obtained a warrant and found other recordings.
Luebbers had deleted the files, but specialist investigators were able to recover them from the device, the court heard.
Stephanides called for an immediate term of imprisonment, arguing the offending was targeted and constituted a gross violation of trust.
“Not only does he keep that [footage] for his own gratification and purposes, but he disseminates the footage and stills to two unidentified males,” she said.
Magistrate Luisa Bazzani said Luebbers ought to have been aware of the “horrendous impact” his actions would have on the two victims.
Luebbers will return to court for sentencing on Thursday.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a personal crisis, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au.
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