A 67-year-old former carpenter from Kent has been handed a suspended prison sentence after strapping a mobile phone to his footwear to secretly photograph beneath women's clothing in supermarkets.
Anthony Wickham, a father of two with no prior criminal record, appeared before Maidstone Crown Court, where he admitted to multiple offences including recording images under clothing without consent, and possessing indecent photographs of children.
The court heard the retired tradesman would follow female shoppers through Aldi stores with the device attached to his shoe, positioning himself near his targets to capture footage.
Judge Gareth Branston suspended a six-month custodial term for 18 months, telling Wickham he should feel "embarrassed and ashamed" for what the judge described as "disgusting and violating" crimes.
The offending came to light in June 2023, when a woman shopping with her son at an Aldi branch noticed something suspicious after nearly colliding with Wickham.
Prosecutor Dominic Connolly told the court: "She then noticed a mobile phone tied to his right foot with the camera facing up. She confronted him, asked him to show her and he produced a different phone."
When she demanded to see the device attached to his foot, Wickham refused and fled the premises.
Store security footage captured him beforehand moving through the aisles, making peculiar movements with his right foot and positioning it beneath the skirts of female customers.
Anthony Wickham strapped a mobile phone to his footwear to secretly photograph beneath women's clothing in supermarkets
|KENT POLICE
Kent Police released images from the CCTV, prompting a former client couple to come forward with his contact details and business name, leading to his arrest in July 2023.
Examination of devices seized from Wickham's home uncovered extensive evidence of his voyeuristic behaviour, including 140 photographs of a woman using a toilet, and two recordings showing him fixing the phone to his foot before prowling through shops.
Officers also recovered three deleted images depicting partially clothed children aged between seven and 14 engaged in sexual acts, though the court heard no evidence linking Wickham to creating either the toilet footage or the child abuse material.
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The victim provided a statement describing the profound psychological toll of the encounter, saying: "It left me feeling deeply shaken and even though years have passed, I feel my sense of personal safety and dignity was taken away from me in that moment."
She added that routine shopping trips now fill her with anxiety, and the incident had also affected her son who witnessed the confrontation.
Wickham pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity to recording images beneath clothing without consent, installing equipment to observe private acts for sexual gratification, and possessing indecent images of children.
One victim said routine shopping trips now fill her with anxiety
| ALDIA probation report revealed he described himself as feeling "unhappy, isolated, lonely and sexually frustrated" throughout his 43-year marriage, which has since broken down.
Defence barrister Emin Kandola said her client was "profoundly remorseful" and had voluntarily sought therapy and counselling to address his behaviour.
Judge Branston acknowledged the offences involved "significant planning and multiple targets", but concluded there remained a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.
Wickham must complete a 26-day probation programme and up to 30 rehabilitation sessions, while a sexual harm prevention order and sex offender registration requirements will remain in force for a decade.
He was also ordered to pay £150 in prosecution costs.