In 2026, the Offender Database recorded that then 67-year-old Anthony Wickham—of Mount Lane, Bearsted—was sentenced following a “disgusting and violating” campaign of serial voyeurism and child sexual abuse. The investigation established that the retired carpenter strapped a mobile phone to his footwear to film up shoppers’ skirts. The prosecution reported at Maidstone Crown Court that Wickham followed unsuspecting women around supermarkets, department stores, and shopping centres, manoeuvring his foot to record beneath their clothing.
The investigation established that Wickham’s predatory behavior was exposed after a brave woman confronted him in an Aldi branch at Langley Park. Following a police media appeal, former customers identified him from CCTV. A subsequent raid on his home uncovered a massive hoard of illicit material, including 140 images of a woman using a toilet and sexually explicit photographs of youngsters aged between seven and 14, identifying a serial and entrenched interest in child sexual abuse.
VOYEURISM AND JUDICIAL FINDINGS
The court reported that Wickham claimed his actions were the result of being “sexually frustrated.” The investigation established that forensic analysis of his devices revealed two lengthy videos showing him carefully attaching the phone to his right foot before targeting victims. The prosecution reported that Wickham also made numerous internet searches for “upskirt in supermarket” and “spy camera” websites, demonstrating a calculated and persistent effort to violate the privacy and human rights of women and children.
Judge-led proceedings at Maidstone Crown Court concluded on Thursday, 16 April 2026. For his actions in Bearsted and Maidstone and the nature of the serial child sexual abuse investigation reported, Anthony Wickham pleaded guilty to recording an image beneath clothing, installing equipment for voyeurism, and possessing indecent images of children. Judge Gareth Branston told the father of two he should feel “embarrassed and ashamed” for his crimes. Wickham was handed a community-based sentence including a 26-day accredited programme and 30 rehabilitation sessions.
STATUS AND STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS
Based on the judicial orders issued in 2026:
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Upskirting; Voyeurism; Possessing indecent images of children).
- Custodial Status: COMMUNITY ORDER (In 2026, serving a community sentence with strict rehabilitation requirements).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active until 2036.
- SHPO Status: Active until 2036 (Imposing permanent prohibitions on the use of modified recording devices and strict digital forensic monitoring).
- DBS Status: Placed on the Barred List (Indefinite and permanent ban from any role involving children or regulated activity).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court; investigated by Kent Police.
- Criminal Record: Strapped a phone to his foot to film up women’s skirts; Filmed a woman using a toilet; Possessed explicit images of children aged 7-14; Targeted victims in Aldi and shopping centres; Convicted in 2026.
- Origin: Mount Lane, Bearsted, Kent.
MONITORING AND PUBLIC PROTECTION
Wickham is managed as a high-risk offender under the statutory requirements of the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in Kent. Due to the nature of his behaviour—specifically his “serial” use of hidden technology to facilitate sexual assault on privacy and his collection of child abuse material—he is a priority for unannounced digital inspections. Authorities reported that the 2026 conviction ensures Wickham is permanently flagged on national databases, meaning any attempt to hold a position of trust or interact with the public in Bearsted, Maidstone, or elsewhere is strictly blocked.
As a registered sex offender for 10 years, his details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that Wickham’s behaviour identifies an individual who prioritised his own perverted gratification over the safety and human rights of shoppers and children. Any failure by Wickham to adhere to his notification requirements or his rehabilitation sessions will result in immediate police intervention to ensure the ongoing protection of the community from a man who has violated the principles of human decency through child sexual abuse and systematic voyeurism.
QUESTION – Given that the offender “Strapped a Phone to his Foot” to film victims in public supermarkets, do you believe the law should legally mandate that any person convicted of high-tech voyeurism should be “Permanently Prohibited from Owning a Smartphone” for the duration of their time on the register?
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