A lecherous lifeguard has been caught peering into changing room cubicles to watch women getting undressed.

John Jackson, 21, was caught spying on swimmers at Larkfield Leisure Centre, where he had worked for three years without incident.

But during the school summer holidays a terrified woman caught him looking over her cubicle wall as she was changing after swimming.

His shocked boss viewed CCTV footage and discovered the 21-year-old Jackson had watched three other women the previous day.

Jackson, of Ruskin Close, East Malling, who has since quit his job, pleaded guilty to four counts of attempted voyeurism at Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court and may have to sign the sex offenders’ register.

On the evening of Thursday, August 6, the woman and her husband were swimming in the New Hythe Lane leisure centre pool.

Katie Samways for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said: “The woman went into the changing room and was about to get dressed.

"She just had her towel around her when she noticed the defendant peering over the top of the cubicle partition. She screamed in shock when she saw his head.”

Jackson left the neighbouring cubicle without speaking to his victim and the woman and her husband reported the lifeguard’s behaviour to the centre’s receptionist, who called the manager.

CCTV footage backed up their claim but also showed Jackson looking into three cubicles the previous day.

On two occasions women were seen entering the cubicles beforehand, Miss Samways said, adding that the cameras did not point directly into the changing booths.

When shown the video of his actions, Jackson told police he was looking into the cubicles to ‘“make sure everything was ok’” as children often lock the doors from the inside, Miss Samways revealed.

Miss Samways said the ordeal had been “distressing” for the woman.

Chairman of the bench Jill Stephens told the former lifeguard his behaviour was an “abuse of trust”.

Ms Stephens warned Jackson he faced a “high level community sentence”, the purpose of which would be to reform and rehabilitate him as well as protect the public.

She just had her towel around her when she noticed the defendant peering over the top of the cubicle partition. She screamed in shock when she saw his head, Katie Samways, CPS

Jackson, who wore a smart grey coat and blue jeans for his court appearance and spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth, must return to the court next month find out what his sentence will be.

Eleanor Dobson, defending, described her client as a reticent young man who was deeply embarrassed by his actions and had offered to write letters of apology to his victims.

She said he had worked at the centre for three-and-a-half years and added: “He is sorry for the distress he has caused.”

Jackson’s “immaturity” contributed to his actions, Miss Dobson said, and had he realised the consequences of his behaviour and the effect a criminal record for a sexual offence would have on his life and job prospects, he “might have thought more carefully about what he did”.

She said: “He glanced momentarily over the cubicles at these ladies. [The woman who reported him] was in a towel - he did not see any intimate part of her body.”

She said he was “reasonably well regarded” at work and there had never been any other issues.

John Jackson was initially charged with voyeurism but the charge was downgraded to attempted voyeurism when he appeared in court on Wednesday (September 16) after it emerged the woman who reported him was covered up when he saw her.

Katie Samways explained: “For a charge of voyeurism we would have to prove the person was exposed in some way or in their underwear. The victim was in a towel so it is attempted voyeurism. He didn’t know what state of undress the women would be in."

The charge stated Jackson, who is now unemployed and living with his father, had watched the women “for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification”.

Jackson is currently the subject of a sexual offences prevention order, meaning he has to check in at a police station regularly until his sentencing, when magistrates will decide whether he needs to sign the sex offenders’ register.

Martin Guyton, chief executive at Tonbridge and Malling Leisure Trust, which runs Larkfield Leisure Centre, said: “We take the health, safety and privacy of those using our facilities extremely seriously.

“The member of staff resigned from his post with immediate effect before his disciplinary hearing and we have since written to him banning him from all our sites.

“Larkfield Leisure Centre is a modern centre with family friendly changing facilities segregated into family, men and women changing areas, which are monitored by CCTV and staff.

"This is an isolated incident and we will continue to be vigilant and ensure we maintain appropriate safeguards to prevent future incidents of this nature.”