A celebrity osteopath branded ‘one of London‘s most prolific voyeurs’ was jailed for more than three years today for secretly taking pictures and videos of 2,000 women.
Torben Stig Hersborg, of Tower Hamlets, filmed and photographed the women across more than a decade in his Old Street clinic as well as on beaches, on footpaths, waiting at bus stops or for the Tube and when they were in their own homes.
The 64-year-old Danish national was sentenced to three years and five months in prison at Snaresbrook Crown Court today after admitting eight counts of voyeurism.
The victims spied on by Hersborg – who boasted a celebrity client list including Caroline Wozniacki and Anna Friel – could not be identified from the images.
His crimes were revealed when a member of the public called police last December after they spotted a suspicious vehicle outside university accommodation in Islington.
Hersborg, who moved to the UK in 1984, was seen in the back seat of a dark Lexus wearing black gloves and sat on seats lined with black plastic bags.
A search of the vehicle by detectives found a telescope in the footwell and a video camera with black tape around the lens, pointed at students living inside.
A hard drive, SD cards and recording device were all recovered and analysed after Hersborg was arrested and had thousands of files with images and videos of victims.
Danish national Torben Stig Hersborg, 64, filmed and photographed around 2,000 women
Hersborg had clients including Strictly Come Dancing star Viscountess Emma Weymouth
Hersborg has been pictured alongside musicians such as Beverley Knight and Ronnie Wood
It soon became clear that women were filmed without their knowledge in Hersborg’s private practice in Old Street as well as at public locations and in their own homes.
Some pictures and videos showed victims undressing in their bedrooms and bathrooms. On two videos found on his SD cards, women were filmed having sex without their knowledge.
Prosecutors were unable to identify any of the women who appear in the videos and photographs, nor obtain statements from them.
But they instead focused on the digital material in an evidence-led approach which identified consistent patterns of offending.
The Crown Prosecution Service built a picture of Hersborg’s motive – which over a 12-year period consistently saw him use secret or concealed cameras to focus on intimate areas of the body or when women were in private situations in their home.
Working with the Metropolitan Police, the prosecutors brought a this digital evidence to court at the first hearing in December 2024, which saw Hersborg plead guilty to voyeurism charges.
After his devices were analysed by officers, Hersborg was later charged with five further counts of voyeurism and admitted all of these offences at a separate court hearing in January 2025.
Hersborg is pictured with television and radio presenter Fearne Cotton on his social media
Torben Hersborg, pictured with Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen on his Instagram page
Hersborg had a celebrity client list including Caroline Wozniacki (left) and Anna Friel (right)
Hersborg, who helped people alleviate muscle and joint pain, is said to have been a childhood friend of Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen.
His celebrity clients included the likes of Strictly Come Dancing contestant Viscountess Emma Weymouth and presenter Fearne Cotton.
He was also pictured with musicians Beverley Knight and Ronnie Wood, and provided his services for the Sidemen YouTubers during their charity football match.
Alex Weichselbaum, senior crown prosecutor for CPS London North, said today: ‘Hersborg operated in plain sight for too long and, having targeted thousands of women over 12 years, we believe the scale and significance of his offending makes him one of London’s most prolific voyeurs.
‘His meticulously planned acts included setting up secret cameras in his clinic and covertly filming women – both in public and when they thought they were in the privacy of their own homes.
‘Hersborg deliberately abused the trust of his unwitting patients by filming them in intimate positions and targeted strangers for his own sexual gratification.
‘Women should be free to live their lives without unwanted intrusion – particularly from sexual offenders like Hersborg who deliberately chose to film or photograph them in their most private or intimate moments.’
