Stephens faces five counts after Adfa shower camera case
Tain Stewart Stephens, 20, faced the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday, May 11, after police alleged he hid a camera inside a soap dispenser in adfa shared showers. He has not entered pleas to five counts of capturing visual data and intimate observations.
Police were called to the Australian Defence Force Academy on Saturday, May 9, 2026, after a resident and staff member located the device. The court heard officers later seized items from Stephens’ room, vehicle and electronic devices, and that about 40,000 files had since been found across two seized devices.
Emma Bayliss at ACT Magistrates Court
Prosecutor Emma Bayliss opposed bail and told the court Stephens’ actions were “calculated and premeditated”. She said the dispenser had allegedly been fitted with a wireless transmitter, camera and SD card, turning a routine fixture into part of the alleged recording setup.
Bayliss said another 17 soap dispensers across the academy had also been tampered with, although no additional recording devices were found. She also said Stephens had been unco-operative during the investigation, including providing incorrect passwords for his devices on two occasions.
Previous military police inquiries
Bayliss said Stephens had previously been investigated by military police in January 2025 and March 2025. She said he had moved accommodation blocks as a result of those inquiries and had “clearly been on notice that his conduct had been monitored, and he was undeterred by that.”
The prosecution’s case links the alleged hidden camera to a wider search of Stephens’ room, vehicle and devices, with officers still analysing the material. That leaves the matter in an early evidence-gathering phase while the five charges move through the magistrates court.
Bail argument for Stephens
A Legal Aid duty lawyer said Stephens had strong prospects of complying with strict conditions. The lawyer said Stephens’ father had travelled from interstate to attend the bail hearing and was prepared to have his son live under his supervision at the family’s Queensland home if bail was granted.
The lawyer also said Stephens had no prior criminal history and that there was little evidence to suggest he would breach bail conditions. He argued Stephens could spend longer in custody on remand than any eventual sentence imposed if convicted.
