A mother confronted a man who was caught on CCTV filming beneath her young daughter's skirt in a Cardiff shopping centre. Alex Allegretto, 39, was sentenced at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on August 5 after pleading guilty to the offence.
The incident took place inside St David's 2 shopping centre on the morning of July 7, when the mum spotted him walking closely to her daughter before putting his mobile phone under her skirt. Footage shared by police shows the mother challenging him as he ran away towards Churchill Way.
Tracked by CCTV
Allegretto then went to his car parked nearby, providing a trail for detectives who tracked his movements to Fitzalan Road. Further checks revealed him as a named driver on the vehicle, and he was arrested at his home address in Maesteg, South Wales, four days later.
He admitted the offence of operating a mobile phone beneath the clothing of another person for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification.
Victim's anxiety
The encounter has left the girl anxious and worried about anyone walking behind her, detectives said. Allegretto must register with the police for five years under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, do 140 hours of unpaid work and complete Rehabilitation Activity Requirements.
Sergeant Luis Antony, from South Wales Police, said: 'Everyone has the right to feel safe, wherever they are, and nobody should be subjected to this kind of offence. This incident continues to have an impact the victim. She is worried about people walking behind her and is anxious when out and about. Through extensive CCTV enquiries we were able to track the suspect before, during and after the offence. The footage clearly shows Alex Allegretto's intentions and what he did to this young girl while she was innocently out shopping with her mother. We hope the outcome at court provides some comfort to her and allows her to rebuild her confidence.'
Legal context
South Wales Police said: 'Excellent CCTV work by detectives resulted in this person being brought to justice for upskirting in Cardiff city centre. We follow up as many investigative options as possible, including CCTV, to trace those responsible for committing crime and to get justice for victims. And in this case, it proved crucial.'
Upskirting became a criminal offence in England and Wales in April 2019 after campaigning by victims. Gina Martin was enjoying a Killers concert in Hyde Park in 2017 when she was targeted by a voyeur, who took a picture of her crotch. She reported it to the police, but found out the man had not broken any laws, which set off the campaign that saw thousands of women share their experiences of upskirting before the major legal change.
Since upskirting became a crime under the Voyeurism Act, police forces have logged more than 1,000 incidents, including hundreds of children as victims. Britain's public transport network has seen a rise in upskirting crime, with hundreds of women having been targeted while travelling since 2021.
