A Hull man has been convicted of upskirting a young woman who was out shopping with her sister in the city's Primark store.
Kevin Syder, 55, of South Bridge Road, Hull, admitted an offence of upskirting when he appeared at Hull Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 15th December 2021.
Upskirting, which involves taking images beneath the clothing of an unsuspecting victim for the purposes of obtaining sexual gratification, is an offence under section 67A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. It has a maximum sentence of 6 months' custody and/or an unlimited fine on summary conviction; 2 years' custody on conviction on indictment.
Magistrates heard that the offence took place at the Primark store in Princes Quay, Hull, on Sunday, 8th March 2020.
The 20-year-old woman, who was out shopping with her younger sister, felt something brush against her thigh.
Colette Dixon, prosecuting, outlined the circumstances: "While she was in the queue, she felt something brush against the back of her upper right thigh. At the time she didn't think anything of it because there were a large amount of items close by and the area was crowded.
"She says that the store was busy as it was around lunchtime and she was just in the queue chatting with her sister waiting to pay.
"Another shopper saw a man using a phone under her skirt and alerted her to it and she turned around to face the man accused.
"She felt herself freeze, she was extremely upset and has struggled to recall what happened after that moment."
The young woman became extremely distressed and Syder tried to flee the scene, but he was detained by store security staff. The police arrived and Syder was arrested.
Describing the impact of the offence on the young woman, Mrs Dixon said: "She says she was extremely upset throughout the whole episode and now feels violated.
"She said she was wearing a skirt and tights and should be able to wear anything that she likes when going out without the fear of someone taking private images of her without her consent.
"She has felt extremely low since the incident and carries it with her whenever she goes out, she especially worries for her younger sister who she says it has had an extreme effect on due to their closeness.
"She said I want the police and the court to take positive action, I should be able to go shopping without the fear of this sort of crime occurring."
Magistrates sent the case to Hull Crown Court for sentencing.
Syder, who has no previous convictions, was granted unconditional bail until Wednesday, 12th January 2022.
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