Exeter man with 'tights fetish' pestered lone woman

Zenon Wheeler
-Credit: (Image: Devon & Cornwall Police)


A pervert with a sexual fetish for women in tights has been jailed for pestering female shop workers in Exeter. Sex offender Zenon Wheeler repeatedly entered one business in the city and told the owner he liked what she was wearing while secretly filming her.

He visited another businesswoman at her home and talked about tights., a court heard. Wheeler, 48, of Topsham Road, targeted the women when they were alone and would leave if anyone else appeared.

The defendant has a long-held fixation with women in tights. In 2023 he was convicted of sexually assaulting a beautician in her salon and banned from approaching lone females.

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He admitted three breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order at Exeter Crown Court and jailed for 20 months. The judge said he was a "liability" and a danger to women whose obsession was not going to go away.

His offending started in February when he entered a shop in Exeter and approached the woman while she was working alone. Wheeler told her he wanted to buy something for his girlfriend, loitered around and returned several times when no other customers were present, said prosecutor Peter Coombe.

He tried to persuade the woman to go with him to an area at the back of the shop out of view of the public and pestered her for photos. The woman was alarmed by his behaviour and told her husband. Wheeler's obsessive urges lasted several months before he stopped coming to the shop.

Videos he had secretly taken of the woman's legs were later found on his phone.

The defendant also contacted a second woman about buying tights and turned up at her home. He asked her whether she worked alone and whether only females were allowed in. "She sent him on his way," said Mr Coombe. She found several missed calls from Wheeler on her phone.

The court was told the defendant had a previous conviction for sexual assault on the beautician. It involved him pretending to be interested in treatments, overpowering the lone female and putting his hand up her dress.

She was on the phone at the time and managed to call for help. Wheeler later admitted her had been watching her for many days and was fixated with her wearing tights. He was given a community order at Exeter Crown Court in September of last year.

Warren Robinson said Wheeler was "genuinely afraid of going to prison." He said the defendant "self-policed" by stopping his visits to the shop and did not want to hurt people.

"You're a liability, particularly to women," said Judge Stephen Climie. He said Wheeler behaved the way he did for his own sexual gratification.

"You were determined over a period of time to go in and out of the shop and sought to prey upon another woman. You are dangerous in my judgement."

He said it must be terrifying for the victim to learn about Wheeler's background offending and mental health issues.

The court was told police would try to strengthen the order banning him from approaching women to include a outright bar on entering particular shops.

Judge Climie said if he breaches the terms again his sentence will probably be doubled.