Auckland businessman sentenced after secretly filming sexual encounters with 14 women

An Auckland businessman who secretly filmed sexual encounters with 14 women and uploaded recordings online has been sentenced to two years and seven months in prison, with victims describing the offending as a devastating violation of their privacy and consent, The New Zealand Herald has reported. 

Shafkat Mahbub was sentenced to 31 months’ imprisonment in the Auckland District Court on Tuesday after earlier pleading guilty to 24 charges — 14 of making intimate visual recordings and 10 relating to recordings he posted online for money, The New Zealand Herald reported.

Judge Debra Bell said Mahbub covertly recorded sexual activity with 14 women over a four-year period, using recording devices that had been concealed before the encounters.

Ten recordings were subsequently uploaded to websites. Between August 2023 and March 31, 2024, Mahbub earned $3521.19 from videos uploaded to one of the sites.

Judge Bell said the offending had caused extensive psychological harm, with victims left fearing who had already seen the footage and who might encounter it in the future. They also had little control over whether copies circulating online could ever be removed.

“Your conduct reflects a striking absence of empathy and a callous disregard for the wellbeing of the victims who have been affected by your actions; hopefully they can start to move on,” Judge Bell said, as quoted by Herald.

Victims describe lasting impact

Two victims, both sex workers in their 20s, told the Herald they had no idea Mahbub, whom they knew by the alias “Shaf”, was recording them during encounters at Auckland hotels from 2022.

Neither woman had consented to being filmed, photographed or otherwise recorded.

“I felt violated to think he planned this,” one of the survivors told the Herald.

“Within a few seconds I immediately recognised three of my friends who are also sex workers and contacted them.”

One of her videos had been online for about two years and accumulated more than 100,000 views, she said.

“My face was fully visible. I was utterly disgusted that somebody could do this not just once, but across several years.”

She said she had deliberately avoided having personal social media accounts as part of efforts to protect her identity.

“These videos destroy all that effort,” she said.

“As sex workers, we face stigma; we have to live with the fear that family, employers, clients, partners could see those videos and recognise us," Herald quoted.

The discovery had affected her ability to continue working and left her anxious about being secretly recorded again.

“This is a life-changing violation of my consent and privacy. I am considering leaving the sex industry," she told Herald.

She said she now felt safe only with regular clients and routinely checked rooms for potential recording equipment.

“I check the room beforehand and throw my dress over keyrings, bags and glasses – anything that could potentially be used as a recording device.”

Another victim told the Herald footage of her had appeared on a European pornography website this year.

In her victim impact statement, she described suffering emotional, physical, psychological, professional and financial consequences.

“Upon discovering what had occurred, I experienced immediate and overwhelming fear, shock, and distress. For the first week, I was too frightened to leave my home. I couldn’t sleep for three days. I felt humiliated and ashamed about something I had never previously associated with shame," Herald quoted.

She said the discovery also damaged her relationship with her daughter.

“She was present when I learned what had happened. In that moment, years of work we had done together to reduce stigma and shame were undone. She became embarrassed of me, which was devastating as a parent.

“I now experience symptoms consistent with PTSD, including flashbacks and intrusive memories.”

Devices concealed before bookings

According to court documents reported by the Herald, Mahbub sometimes met women at Auckland restaurants, including Baduzzi, Gusto and Metita, before later booking them for sex.

He regularly rented rooms at SkyCity Hotel and concealed recording equipment before the women arrived.

In one case, a woman first met Mahbub at Spectra Cafe in Commercial Bay to discuss arrangements before meeting him for sex the following month.

The summary of facts said the woman consensually wore a blindfold and AirPods and had tape covering her nose. During the encounter, Mahbub positioned his cellphone to record her.

The footage was later distributed online without her knowledge.

Another woman became suspicious because Mahbub repeatedly insisted on positioning himself in a particular part of the hotel room.

When he subsequently booked her, she brought another sex worker with her because she did not want to be alone with him. She again noticed Mahbub was particular about positioning, with one side of the bed remaining unused despite three people taking part in sexual activity.

Mahbub later uploaded recordings to three websites, exposing the woman’s face and body without her knowledge.

Sentencing temporarily delayed

Tuesday’s sentencing was initially delayed and an arrest warrant issued after Mahbub failed to appear in court.

The court was later told he had been admitted to North Shore Hospital the previous night following an overdose of medication. He claimed he had heard voices telling him to kill his children, Herald reported.

A probation report said Mahbub was in an open marriage and told authorities his wife had consented to him having sexual encounters outside their marriage.

The report said Mahbub became depressed during the Covid-19 lockdown and began watching pornography. His viewing became obsessive before he started uploading recordings of his own sexual encounters.

Mahbub, a married father of two, was born in Bangladesh and moved to New Zealand in 2007. He worked as an accountant and established a recruitment business.

The Herald also reported that Mahbub attempted to leave New Zealand in June last year after he had been charged over the non-consensual recordings.

After five victim statements were read to the court, Mahbub turned towards the women and whispered, “I am sorry.”

His lawyer, Joon Yi, told the Herald his client wanted to apologise to the victims.

“He is apologetic and has remorse. He has written letters of apology to all the victims who want them,” Yi said.

Sex workers urged to remain vigilant

Annah Pickering, regional co-ordinator for the New Zealand Prostitutes Collective, told the Herald the case highlighted the need for awareness around devices capable of covert recording.

“We raise awareness within the sex industry around Meta glasses and other devices that perpetrators set up to film sex workers without their consent,” Herald quoted.

“It’s about navigating this space assertively with clients – requiring them to remove their devices before a booking and put them away in a box or drawer before the booking goes ahead.

“Stipulate clear rules and encourage sex workers to share information about these perpetrators and this type of offending on sex-worker forums, and with NZPC [New Zealand Prostitutes’ Collective] and police.”