diff --git a/poi-scratchpad/src/main/java/org/apache/poi/hslf/usermodel/HSLFFill.java b/poi-scratchpad/src/main/java/org/apache/poi/hslf/usermodel/HSLFFill.java
index 3f9f84b6d6..3a8c767e6d 100644
--- a/poi-scratchpad/src/main/java/org/apache/poi/hslf/usermodel/HSLFFill.java
+++ b/poi-scratchpad/src/main/java/org/apache/poi/hslf/usermodel/HSLFFill.java
@@ -576,9 +576,7 @@ public final class HSLFFill {
         } else {
             EscherBSERecord bse = (EscherBSERecord) bstore.getChild(idx - 1);
             for (HSLFPictureData pd : pict) {
-
-                // Reference equals is safe because these BSE belong to the same slideshow
-                if (pd.bse == bse) {
+                if (pd.getOffset() == bse.getOffset()) {
                     return pd;
                 }
             }
diff --git a/poi-scratchpad/src/main/java/org/apache/poi/hslf/usermodel/HSLFPictureShape.java b/poi-scratchpad/src/main/java/org/apache/poi/hslf/usermodel/HSLFPictureShape.java
index 71e67084e1..e10a54cb55 100644
--- a/poi-scratchpad/src/main/java/org/apache/poi/hslf/usermodel/HSLFPictureShape.java
+++ b/poi-scratchpad/src/main/java/org/apache/poi/hslf/usermodel/HSLFPictureShape.java
@@ -124,9 +124,7 @@ public class HSLFPictureShape extends HSLFSimpleShape implements PictureShape<HS
             LOG.atError().log("no reference to picture data found ");
         } else {
             for (HSLFPictureData pd : pict) {
-
-                // Reference equals is safe because these BSE belong to the same slideshow
-                if (pd.bse == bse) {
+                if (pd.getOffset() == bse.getOffset()) {
                     return pd;
                 }
             }
diff --git a/poi-scratchpad/src/test/java/org/apache/poi/hslf/usermodel/TestBugs.java b/poi-scratchpad/src/test/java/org/apache/poi/hslf/usermodel/TestBugs.java
index 1cd5be3cf6..b883a1603e 100644
--- a/poi-scratchpad/src/test/java/org/apache/poi/hslf/usermodel/TestBugs.java
+++ b/poi-scratchpad/src/test/java/org/apache/poi/hslf/usermodel/TestBugs.java
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ import java.util.Locale;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
 
+import org.apache.commons.io.output.UnsynchronizedByteArrayOutputStream;
 import org.apache.poi.POIDataSamples;
 import org.apache.poi.common.usermodel.fonts.FontGroup;
 import org.apache.poi.ddf.AbstractEscherOptRecord;
@@ -68,19 +69,10 @@ import org.apache.poi.poifs.filesystem.POIFSFileSystem;
 import org.apache.poi.poifs.macros.VBAMacroReader;
 import org.apache.poi.sl.draw.DrawPaint;
 import org.apache.poi.sl.extractor.SlideShowExtractor;
-import org.apache.poi.sl.usermodel.ColorStyle;
-import org.apache.poi.sl.usermodel.PaintStyle;
+import org.apache.poi.sl.usermodel.*;
 import org.apache.poi.sl.usermodel.PaintStyle.SolidPaint;
 import org.apache.poi.sl.usermodel.PictureData.PictureType;
-import org.apache.poi.sl.usermodel.Placeholder;
-import org.apache.poi.sl.usermodel.ShapeType;
-import org.apache.poi.sl.usermodel.Slide;
-import org.apache.poi.sl.usermodel.SlideShow;
-import org.apache.poi.sl.usermodel.SlideShowFactory;
-import org.apache.poi.sl.usermodel.TextBox;
-import org.apache.poi.sl.usermodel.TextParagraph;
 import org.apache.poi.sl.usermodel.TextParagraph.TextAlign;
-import org.apache.poi.sl.usermodel.TextRun;
 import org.apache.poi.util.LittleEndian;
 import org.apache.poi.util.StringUtil;
 import org.apache.poi.util.Units;
@@ -904,4 +896,22 @@ public final class TestBugs {
             assertEquals(ShapeType.NOT_PRIMITIVE, shList.get(2).getShapeType());
         }
     }
+
+    @Test
+    void test69697() throws Exception {
+        try (HSLFSlideShow ppt = open("bug69697.ppt")) {
+            HSLFSlide slide = ppt.getSlides().get(0);
+            for (HSLFShape sh : slide.getShapes()) {
+                if (sh instanceof HSLFPictureShape) {
+                    HSLFPictureShape pict = (HSLFPictureShape) sh;
+                    HSLFPictureData pictData = pict.getPictureData();
+                    assertNotNull(pictData, "PictureData should not be null for shape: " + pict.getShapeName());
+                    byte[] data = pictData.getData();
+                    assertNotNull(data, "Picture data should not be null for shape: " + pict.getShapeName());
+                    PictureData.PictureType type = pictData.getType();
+                    assertNotNull(type, "Picture type should not be null for shape: " + pict.getShapeName());
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/test-data/slideshow/bug69697.ppt b/test-data/slideshow/bug69697.ppt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ff2cdcfbb8
Binary files /dev/null and b/test-data/slideshow/bug69697.ppt differ