The perverted co-founder of a children's soft play business is behind bars after taking pictures of teenage girls in changing rooms and toilets at the leisure centre his company ran.

Former Eddie Catz director Darren Johnson, 51, of Putney, was sentenced to one year and four months’ imprisonment on Wednesday (August 29) at Kingston Crown Court.

The pervert had watched and captured images of girls - as young as 14 - in leisure centre changing rooms and toilets in Putney and Earlsfield, over a 12-year period.

He previously pleaded guilty to five counts of voyeurism , including counts against two 14-year-old girls, on July 18 at the same court.

Undated Metropolitan Police handout photo of Darren Johnson, the co-founder of a children's soft play company, as a court has heard that he was found to have spied on dozens of women after "stalking" schoolgirls from a swimming lesson. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Tuesday August 28, 2018. See PA story COURTS Voyeurism. Photo credit should read: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

Detective Constable Nayeff Al-Wareeth, from the Met’s South West Command, said: “I hope this sentencing result brings some measure of comfort for the two young girls who bravely came forward and reported Johnson to us.

"This conviction would not have been possible without their courage. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that criminals like Johnson are off our streets and behind bars."

Married father-of-two Johnson, who founded the company which ran the leisure centres where several of the offences took place, is also subject to a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The first allegation of Johnson was reported by two 14-year-old girls on June 5 2017 after they saw Johnson attempting to take pictures of them on his mobile phone in a changing room in Putney.

An investigation was immediately launched by officers from the Met’s South West Command and Johnson was identified on CCTV footage which linked him to the crime.

A number of Johnson’s personal items were seized following a search warrant, including his personal computer, iPad and mobile phone, some of which contained voyeuristic images.

He was arrested on June 12 2017 and charged on May 5 2018.