A man who had an infatuation with a teenage girl and set up a cameras in her bedroom and bathroom told police he had an "unhealthy infatuation" with her.

Shaun McCartney took videos of the 14-year-old both in the shower and getting changed and saved them to a USB drive. He watched them at least three times before the girl's mother discovered the files.

He told police that he had an "unhealthy infatuation" with the girl, but did not derive any sexual arousal from watching the footage back.

"The hurt and pain you have caused is difficult to comprehend," the girl's mother told the court today.

"I have had to have conversations with my children I never thought I would have to. Conversations children should never have to have."

She said his offending was a huge breach of trust.

"Why did the man ... do this?"

"It is said people come into your life for a reason but I'm at a loss for why you came into ours.

"You have destroyed her trust and innocence."

McCartney appeared in the Palmerston North District Court on Thursday, while his victim watched from a separate room.

His lawyer Mark Alderdice asked that the focus of his sentence be on rehabilitation as well as acknowledging the distress and hurt that he has caused the girl.

"This offending had repercussions not just for the victim but also for her (family)," he said.

"He's on the path to understanding that."

Alderdice sought a period of intensive supervision and community work.

"If he is not walking the talk and this is simply sentence-based remorse then this is easily discoverable."

The offending happened over the course of a week at the end of 2021 with McCartney making four videos and saving them to a USB drive.

He filmed her showering on two occasions and in her underwear in her bedroom on two separate occasions.

Judge Chris Sygrove sentenced him to 18 months intensive supervision, 150 hours community work and to pay $5000 in emotional harm reparation to the victim.