Of course they demanded that you stop, or else. But you couldn't. You couldn't stop because you needed the feeling that goes with the forbidden behavior. You needed the relief, the rush, the comfort and the feeling of power, all mixed up into one. This is what addiction feels like.
Observers are addicts, too.
Perhaps you are one of the people who likes to watch others. Driving around your neighborhood, you know just who undresses in front of their windows without closing the shades. You have a route. You have a routine. You often masturbate while you are peeking at others.