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British officers accused of using helicopter to peep on citizens below

British officers accused of using helicopter to peep on citizens below
Posted at 6:40 PM, Jul 18, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-18 22:03:26-04

Two officers and two pilots from the South Yorkshire, England Police are being charged with counts of misconduct after they were accused of using a police helicopter to film naked citizens, the BBC reported.

According to the BBC's report, Matthew Lucas, Lee Walls, Matthew Loosemore and Malcolm Reeves are going before a judge this month after the charges were levied. All four men deny the accusations. A third officer, Adrian Pogmore, accepted four misconduct charges. 

Prosecutor Richard Wright said that the officers and pilots used their "unique viewing position [and] powerful video camera" to film people "in a gross violation of privacy."

According to the BBC, the helicopter was used to film naked sunbathers at a campsite. The helicopter was also used to film a couple having sex in a garden. 

The incidents occurred repeated for at least five years. The victims, except for the couple captured having sex, agreed that their privacy rights were violated.

The trial is expected to last up to three weeks. 

To read the BBC's full report, click here

Justin Boggs is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @jjboggs or on Facebook.