A prolific upskirter who filmed more than 20 women in one night in Soho has been handed a prison sentence.
James Manchand was caught on January 16 after recording nearly 30 videos of young women while loitering queues at West End venues.
Manchand had an active Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for an earlier voyeurism offence.
That Friday night, he was approached by officers after being spotted lingering around groups of young women on Shaftesbury Avenue.
A clip shows Manchand being questioned by uniformed police outside the Lyric Theatre after being seen going up behind three girls.
After searching Manchand’s phone which was on the camera app, an officer is heard telling his colleague: ‘I’ve just gone through this phone. I can see that tonight there’s videos on his phone where he’s put his phone up girl’s skirts. He is going to be nicked for voyeurism.’
His phone was found to have 29 upskirting clips filmed that evening including more than 20 victims.
Manchand was further sentenced for breaching his SHPO in December, after he was found to be using a VPN to delete his browsing history and clear cookies.
The 62-year-old was sentenced to a total of 20 months in prison at Westminster Magistrates Court on April 10, 12 for breaching his SHPO, four for recording images under clothing on top of another four months from a reactivated suspended sentence.
He was also required to forfeit his phone and laptop.
DC Sam Pearson, who led the investigation into Manchand, said: ‘Manchand’s predatory behaviour was calculated, persistent and showed a complete disregard for the women he targeted.
‘Thanks to the vigilance and quick instincts of officers on patrol, we were able to intervene before he could continue offending and recover clear evidence that he had committed multiple voyeurism offences in a single evening.
‘No one should have to worry about being violated in this way while simply enjoying a night out. We will continue to act swiftly and decisively against anyone who poses a threat to women and girls.’
‘Voyeurism can take many forms, but at its core it is a blatant intrusion into someone’s privacy, often carried out in crowded or busy places where victims may not immediately realise what has happened’, the Met’s public protection lead, Clair Kelland said.
‘There is absolutely no excuse for this behaviour. Whether motivated by sexual gratification or a desire to cause humiliation, distress or alarm, voyeurism is always deeply unsettling for those targeted.
‘We also want to encourage bystanders to look out for one another. If you see someone behaving in a way that feels predatory or attempting to film under clothing, please report it to officers or venue staff straight away. Your quick action could prevent someone from being targeted.’