Target shopper caught upskirting woman in US store
The 21-year-old man was caught red-handed by another shopper in the Target store on Monday.
A Target shopper has been caught red-handed using his phone to upskirt a woman, with another shopper videoing the shocking act after she noticed him acting unusually in the store.
In the footage the man — who has been identified as 21-year-old Thomas Elliott — is seen loitering behind the woman who was crouched down looking at items on the shelf. He crouches down beside her and she moves away, with Elliott getting up and seemingly walking off. However, he later returns and crouches down at the shelf behind her after she went back to the initial spot.
This is when he is seen extending his arm and pointing his phone under her skirt.
The incident occurred on Monday at a Target store in Greenville in South Carolina, US with the bystander confronting the man after catching sight of his behaviour, WITN reports.
Police were called and handcuffed the man before escorting him off the premises.
Police checking phone for any sexual activity with children
It has been reported Elliott works at Opendoor Church and was also a volunteer at a local school where he has since been terminated from.
"We are disturbed and deeply concerned by video footage of the individual that has been shared on social media and news outlets, and based on the footage, the individual will not be returning to our campuses as a volunteer or hired as an employee,” said Tom McClellan, school system spokesman said.
Elliott's phone is reportedly now being checked by authorities to see if there are any sexual activities involving children on it.
Victim speaks up after incident
The woman told local media she was aware of Elliott's presence at the time and found it "distracting" as he lingered beside her, but was not prepared for his shocking behaviour.
"No matter how much you try to think that you're going to be prepared for it, it kind of throws you through a loop when it actually happens," the woman told WITN. "I decided to get up and scoot over and then, at this point I really was not focussing on what I was trying to buy anymore. I was more just so distracted."
Elliott is charged with secret peeping and attended court this week and faces another court date in June.
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