A university professor has admitted following children around changing rooms at a Perth Leisure Pool disco and listening to them while they swapped into their swimwear.
Staff at the Glasgow Road facility were puzzled when lecturer Peter Ridges paid himself into one of the pool’s Saturday night kids’ discos.
And they called the police when he returned exactly a year later.
The 59-year-old was seen on CCTV wandering around the changing area in just a pair of shorts.
The footage shows Ridges, a Maths Professor at Heriot Watt University, watching young girls going into a cubicle before going into the booth next door.
When the children finished changing and came out, Ridges is seen to exit the adjacent cubicle shortly after – wearing exactly the same thing he had on when he entered.
Not sexual
Ridges went on trial at Perth Sheriff Court in June. He initially denied two charges of conducting himself in a disorderly manner and breaching the peace on February 9, 2019, and again on February 8, 2020.
But on Tuesday – the second day of his trial – he pleaded guilty to amended charges.
His solicitor Gary McAteer said his client had changed his plea “on the basis that charges contain no significant sexual element.”
Part of the allegations that claimed Ridges was also recording in the changing area “by unknown means” was withdrawn by prosecutors.
Mr McAteer said that Ridges’ behaviour was “odd” and “eccentric” but not sexual.
“He has no criminal record,” he said.
“His intention at this time was to simply heat up after a days walking in the hills.”
Mr McAteer said that a background report had suggested his client was “on the spectrum” and that his behaviour is eccentric.
Sheriff William Gilchrist deferred sentence until October 17 for further reports.
Concerned staff called police
Staff at the pool said that Ridges never actually went for a swim during his visits.
Reception worker Fiona Pallister, 44, told the trial: “It’s the kids’ disco on a Saturday night.
“It’s full of children with loud music.
“Not many people come in on their own.”
She told the court: “He said he was meeting somebody down in the leisure pool, so he wanted to go down there.
“He just asked for a swim. I just thought it was very odd.
“It wasn’t sitting right with me.”
She said a colleague had gone to check on him and noticed that he never went into the pool.
“He was just in the changing rooms the whole time and round the toilets,” she said.
“He came up the stairs without his shoes on.
“He put his shoes on and left.”
Ms Pallister recognised Ridges when he came back a year later.
She called the police.
The court was told Ridges disappeared into a toilet when officers arrived and after “around ten minutes” officers went in to tell him to come out.
