Sexual Offences Act 2003, section 67A

Voyeurism: additional offences

Part 1 Sexual Offences

(1)A person (A) commits an offence if—

(a)A operates equipment beneath the clothing of another person (B),

(b)A does so with the intention of enabling A or another person (C), for a purpose mentioned in subsection (3), to observe—

(i)B's genitals or buttocks (whether exposed or covered with underwear), or

(ii)the underwear covering B's genitals or buttocks,

in circumstances where the genitals, buttocks or underwear would not otherwise be visible, and

(c)A does so—

(i)without B's consent, and

(ii)without reasonably believing that B consents.

(2)A person (A) commits an offence if—

(a)A records an image beneath the clothing of another person (B),

(b)the image is of—

(i)B's genitals or buttocks (whether exposed or covered with underwear), or

(ii)the underwear covering B's genitals or buttocks,

in circumstances where the genitals, buttocks or underwear would not otherwise be visible,

(c)A does so with the intention that A or another person (C) will look at the image for a purpose mentioned in subsection (3), and

(d)A does so—

(i)without B's consent, and

(ii)without reasonably believing that B consents.

[F144 (2A)A person (A) commits an offence if—

(a)A operates equipment,

(b)A does so with the intention of enabling A or another person (C), for a purpose mentioned in subsection (3), to observe another (B) while B is breast-feeding a child, and

(c)A does so—

(i)without B’s consent, and

(ii)without reasonably believing that B consents.

(2B)A person (A) commits an offence if—

(a)A records an image of another (B) while B is breast-feeding a child,

(b)A does so with the intention that A or another person (C) will look at the image for a purpose mentioned in subsection (3), and

(c)A does so—

(i)without B’s consent, and

(ii)without reasonably believing that B consents.F144]

(3)The purposes referred to in subsections (1) [F145 to (2B)F145] are—

(a)obtaining sexual gratification (whether for A or C);

(b)humiliating, alarming or distressing B.

[F146 (3A)In this section a reference to B breast-feeding a child includes B re-arranging B’s clothing—

(a)in the course of preparing to breast-feed the child, or

(b)having just finished breast-feeding the child.

(3B)It is irrelevant for the purposes of subsections (2A) and (2B)—

(a)whether or not B is in a public place while B is breast-feeding the child,

(b)whether or not B’s breasts are exposed while B is breast-feeding the child, and

(c)what part of B’s body—

(i)is, or is intended by A to be, visible in the recorded image, or

(ii)is intended by A to be observed.F146]

(4)A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—

(a)on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding [F147 the general limit in a magistrates’ courtF147] , or to a fine, or to both;

(b)on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years.

(5)In relation to an offence committed before [F148 2 May 2022F148] , the reference in subsection (4)(a) to [F149 the general limit in a magistrates’ courtF149] is to be read as a reference to 6 months.F143]

Definitions used in section 67A 2

Image

(4) “Image” means a moving or still image and includes an image produced by any means and, where the context permits, a three-dimensional image.

Defined in s.79(4) · see it in the full Act
court

(2) In sections 92 and 103A(1) of this Act, and section 345 of the Sentencing Code, “court” includes a service court.

Defined in s.137(2) · see it in the full Act

Cases considering section 67A 3

R v Paolo Barone

[2025] EWCA Crim 125 · 14 February 2025Interprets

Section 67A provides the statutory framework for the additional voyeurism offences. The court interprets its language, particularly the concepts of recording beneath clothing and visibility of private parts, in determining whether the conviction could stand (see paras [3], [17]-[20]). The court uses subsection (1)’s reference to operating equipment beneath clothing as a textual comparison supporting the same meaning of ‘beneath’ in subsection (2). The concept is directed to looking up through clothing to private parts, not to a camera’s height (see para [17]). The court interprets and applies subsection (2) to hold that recording through a person’s legs to private parts covered by a skirt is recording beneath clothing. The visibility condition is met where the view was obtained only by deliberate positioning for upskirting (see paras [17]-[20]).

R v Luke Silver

[2025] EWCA Crim 543 · 13 March 2025

The court used the statutory reference to sexual gratification in the upskirting offence as further contextual support for its interpretation of benefit under section 26. (see para [25])

R v AKH

[2025] EWCA Crim 542 · 13 March 2025

The court referred to the sexual-gratification element of the offence of upskirting as supporting its conclusion that sexual gratification can be a benefit under section 26. (see para [25])

What each judgment says about section 67A is in the case-law panel in the full Act.

Amendments and notes

7 notes from legislation.gov.uk

Amendments

  1. F143S. 67A inserted (12.4.2019) by Voyeurism (Offences) Act 2019 (c. 2), ss. 1(2), 2(2)
  2. F144S. 67A(2A)(2B) inserted (28.6.2022) by Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (c. 32), ss. 48(2), 208(1); S.I. 2022/520, reg. 5(e)
  3. F145Words in s. 67A(3) substituted (28.6.2022) by Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (c. 32), ss. 48(3), 208(1); S.I. 2022/520, reg. 5(e)
  4. F146S. 67A(3A)(3B) inserted (28.6.2022) by Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (c. 32), ss. 48(4), 208(1); S.I. 2022/520, reg. 5(e)
  5. F147Words in s. 67A(4)(a) substituted (7.2.2023 at 12.00 p.m.) by The Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 (Magistrates’ Court Sentencing Powers) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/149), regs. 1(2), 2(1), Sch. Pt. 1
  6. F148Words in s. 67A(5) substituted (28.4.2022) by The Criminal Justice Act 2003 (Commencement No. 33) and Sentencing Act 2020 (Commencement No. 2) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/500), regs. 1(2), 5(1), Sch. Pt. 1
  7. F149Words in s. 67A(5) substituted (7.2.2023 at 12.00 p.m.) by The Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 (Magistrates’ Court Sentencing Powers) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/149), regs. 1(2), 2(1), Sch. Pt. 1