Published:
9:07 AM November 20, 2021

A doctor from Norwich who hacked personal photo accounts and used hidden cameras to spy on women has been jailed.

Vinesh Godhania, 33, from Marlingford Way, was jailed for two years and eight months at St Albans Crown Court on Friday (November 19).

He had pleaded guilty to seven counts of voyeurism and eight counts of unauthorised access to computer material.

The offences were committed from 2012 until 2020, when Godhania was initially a medical student and then went on to qualify as a doctor.

He was arrested in November 2020 following an investigation by the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU).

Godhania admitted to setting up covert cameras to film a number of victims without their knowledge.

He also used key logging software on NHS computers to fraudulently obtain data relating to both colleagues and passwords.

He also admitted to hacking a number of women’s iCloud accounts, gaining access of sexually explicit photos of them, as well as personal information such as passwords.

Detective Sergeant Ian Russell, from ERSOU’s cyber crime unit, said: “These were despicable actions by a man in a position of trust, and I’m really pleased he will now be facing time behind bars.

“I’d like to thank the victims for their bravery throughout this case. It’s thanks to their support and courage that Godhania has been jailed.

“This abhorrent behaviour is never acceptable and we will work hard to ensure that those who look to take advantage of others in this sickening way are identified and made to face the consequences of their actions.”

The ERSOU’s Cyber Protection team have given the following advice on how to avoid being a victim of cyber crime: 

1. Use a strong and separate password for your email account
2. Create strong passwords using two random words
3. Save your passwords in your browser – this is safer than using weak passwords or the same password for each site
4. Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA)
5. Update your devices
6. Back up your data
For more detailed advice and guidance to safeguard your online presence,  visit the National Cyber Security Centre website: Cyber Aware – NCSC.GOV.UK