A 20-YEAR old man who admitted using secret cameras in portable public toilets at the Tour Down Under was experimenting with his sexuality, a court has heard.

Gordon Inchul Christie, of Prospect, today pleaded guilty in the Adelaide Magistrates Court to 28 counts of indecent filming between September 19, 2013 and January 19 this year.

Christie’s lawyer Jack Oks said his client purchased five filming devices including three “coat hook cameras” — which were used in the toilets — and two pen cameras for $90 on eBay.

“It was really an experiment, in a way, of expressing his sexual feelings in a secret manner, that’s why it all started, unfortunately,” he said.

“It arose out of his struggle with his own sexuality.”

Christie was charged after a member of the public discovered the cameras, hidden inside the clothes hooks, in temporary male toilets at the Tour Down Under village on January 20.

Last month, Christie left court hidden beneath a jacket after the state’s Chief Magistrate, Judge Elizabeth Bolton, said he would receive a substantial sentencing discount if he pleaded guilty.

Today, the court heard the cameras contained “glimpses” of mens genitalia and buttocks, none of whom knew they had been captured.

The cameras contained USB drives and the 40 minutes of captured footage was downloaded onto Christie’s laptop and hard drive. The footage was not distributed further and did not contain images of children.

The court heard South Korean-born Christie was adopted along with his sister and came to Australia at just five months of age.

He had kept his sexuality secret from family and friends, and since being discovered, he had endured suicidal thoughts, but was seeing a psychiatrist.

Mr Oks said his client had suffered embarrassment and continues to study but had not personally attended university, where he is in his final year of a tourism and event management degree at UniSA, because his name and face had been published in the media.

“He has learned his lesson and he has matured ... we don’t need to be worried about this sort of offending continuing,” Mr Oks said.

He said men using public facilities expected to be in view of other males.

“It’s just part of public life when you use the public toilet ... I would be very surprised if a male using a toilet would expect no other male would see anything.”

Police prosecutor Brevet Sergeant Debra McDiarmid urged the court to impose a jail term because the offences required “clear forethought”.

“There was clearly a level of planning and preparation involved,” she said.

“The public has a right to use public facilities and feel protected and private using those facilities.”

Magistrate Paul Bennett will sentence Christie next week. The maximum penalty for the offence is a fine of $10,000 and up to two years in prison.