Penticton man gets fine for recording woman in shower

PENTICTON – A Penticton man was sentenced to a fine for secretly recording a woman in the shower, even though it wasn't his first offence and police had evidence of several more unidentified women he tried to record.

Skye Dylan Shillitto appeared before Judge Gale Sinclair today, Monday, April 11, to be sentenced after the incident in a women’s washroom at the Barefoot Beach Resort last year.

Crown Prosecutor Ann Lerchs told court an off duty Penticton RCMP constable heard a woman screaming for help around 3:20 p.m. on July 26, 2015, at one of the resort’s washrooms.

The woman told the office she had been showering and bent over to dry her hair when she glimpsed a black cell phone with a circular pattern on it, positioned under the door.

She yelled and opened the shower stall door in time to see a man running out the door of the washroom.

A man, later identified as Skye Shillitto, was seen running from the scene to a handicapped washroom, where he locked himself in for a short period of time.

After exiting the washroom, Shillitto told authorities he had been cleaning the women’s washroom, as an employee of the resort, and didn’t realize anyone was inside.

He was asked to unlock his cell phone, which he did.

Police found a number of photos on the phone of women’s legs and feet, apparently in washroom stalls. It was noted he had sufficient time in the handicapped washroom to have deleted or sent photos.

The resort’s manager confirmed Shillitto had no business being in the women’s washroom.

He was arrested on a charge of voyeurism.

Lerchs said Shillitto faced a previous charge for secretly recording nudity from an incident that took place Dec. 3, 2012.

A pre-sentence and psychiatric report revealed Shillitto had been subject to a community supervision program in the past, and had insight into triggers that precipitated his voyeuristic behaviour, adding the psychiatric report indicated he was a moderate risk to re-offend.

Lerchs also read a victim impact statement to court, noting the victim said the incident caused her to “shy away from my husband.”

Lerchs asked Judge Sinclair for a $1,000 fine and three-year probation, along with several restrictions to keep Shillitto away from public place where the opportunity to re-offend might present itself.

Defence lawyer Ryu Okayama told court his 40 year old client currently worked as a groundskeeper at a Penticton golf course, having cleaning duties only at a seventh hole porta-potty. He said his client was currently in a relationship with someone who was aware of his condition and supportive of treatment. 

“I realize I haven’t dealt with life’s challenges in the best way,” Shillitto told Judge Sinclair. “With some hard work I can regain my integrity.”

Sinclair agreed the fine and probation.

"The reports say you can see this behaviour coming – now you have to learn to put a lid on it,” Sinclair said.

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