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A Royal Mail worker who was seen taking photos up a schoolgirl’s skirt in a supermarket was handed a community order.
Benjamin Harrison, 39, was spotted by staff at the Co-op store in Poynton leaning over and putting his phone near the child.
After checking CCTV footage, they saw him take around four or five pictures, Stockport Magistrates’ Court heard.
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As he left the store, staff noted his registration plate and saw he was ‘wearing a Royal Mail uniform’ before reporting him to the police.
Harrison, of Wellington Road, Hazel Grove, admitted operating equipment beneath the clothing of another without consent, more commonly known as ‘upskirting’.
He was handed an 18 month community order with 100 hours unpaid work and 30 days of rehabilitation activity.
Prosecutor Nicole Bridgman said the incident happened on May 14 last year. During his police interview he made full admissions and said he had deleted the images.
His phone was seized and analysed, and later confirmed there were no images.
In a victim personal statement, the girl said she found it ‘disgusting to think anyone would think about filming up someone’s skirt, let alone do it’.
She said: “No one has the right or permission to film up my skirt.”
Harrison was said to have no previous convictions.
Defending, Lorna Wincote said: “Mr Harrison does seem to have extreme victim empathy, he is extremely ashamed of his actions and how what he has done will, or could, affect the victim.”
She said that he had moved out of the family home which affected childcare arrangements.
Harrison must also pay £250 compensation and sign the Sex Offenders Register for five years.
Royal Mail confirmed to CheshireLive that Harrison no longer works for the postal service.
