A young woman being treated in a specialist care facility made a sickening discovery which stunned even experienced prosecutors when she installed a camera in her room.
The victim, in her 20s, felt something sinister was happening after experiencing vague memories of being sexually touched as she came round from epileptic seizures, which she suffered regularly.
The woman suspected one of her carers, 21-year-old Benjamin Poole, as the incidents occurred when he was on duty.
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Desperate to get the truth, she bought a camera hidden inside an alarm clock and installed it in her room at the Cheshire facility, which has not been named.
According to the Crown Prosecution Service: "On 19 November 2020, the victim could feel an episode coming on and pressed the call button for a member of staff.
"Then she switched on the 'Save' function on the camera inside the alarm clock, so it would retain the footage. She did this because she knew Poole was on duty.
"When she came round from the seizures, she viewed the footage from the camera via her phone and was horrified to see Poole committing a number of sexual assaults on her over a period of 23 minutes while she was having the seizures."
The manager was informed and Poole was arrested at the scene by officers from Cheshire Police.
In a victim personal statement, the woman described her epilepsy getting worse and going from a "happy" person to feeling depressed after the attacks.
She said: "He wasn't thinking of me at all when he made the decision to sexually exploit me for his own benefit.
"I have experienced many difficult times throughout my life, however, I can honestly say that 19 November 2020 was one of the worst days of my life".
Poole, of Somerville Street, Crewe, was jailed for six years at Chester Crown Court today after admitting five counts of sexual assault and two of being a carer and ill-treating a patient.
Simon Pover, a specialist rape and Serious sexual offences (RASSO) prosecutor, said: “This case, even within the context of the many disturbing matters we routinely face as specialist prosecutors dealing with serious sexual offences, is particularly shocking.
"This has been a team effort initiated by the resourcefulness and courage of the victim who not only involved the police but secured key evidence which was as incriminating as it was distressing."
Julie Harrison, also a specialist RASSO prosecutor, added: “This case was particularly distressing for the victim as the offences took place in a care environment where she should have felt safe, secure, and protected.
"In fact, she was abused by this man whose role it was to care for her when she was at her most vulnerable and who abused her trust in the most despicable way."
Following the sentencing Detective Constable Amelia Stevens, of Cheshire Police, said: "As a carer, Poole held a position of trust and he was there to provide the patients with the care and support they needed during their time of need.
"Poole totally abused this position, and instead of caring for the patient he used it as an opportunity to fulfil his own sexual gratification.
"He wrongly believed that the victim would have no recollection of what he had done, but thankfully as a result of her courage and bravery, he is now facing the consequences of his actions.
"While the victim will never be able to forget what happened to her, I hope that the sentence handed to Poole will help to provide some closure.
“I also hope that the bravery shown by the victim in this case gives other victims of sexual assault the courage to come forward and report what happened to them.”
In addition to his prison sentence, Poole was also hit with an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order preventing him from working in care homes or with vulnerable patients, and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.
Anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse, or knows of someone who has, can contact Cheshire Police on 101, visit the force website here or Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111.
