A 39-year-old man has been convicted and sentenced after filming beneath a young girl's skirt at a busy shopping centre, with the incident captured on security cameras and later used as evidence against him.
Alex Allegretto admitted to operating a mobile phone beneath the clothing of another person for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification. The offence took place on the morning of 7 July at St David's 2 shopping centre in Cardiff, where the victim's mother witnessed the attack and confronted the perpetrator before he fled the scene.
Police were alerted after the mother reported the incident. Security footage from the shopping centre showed Allegretto sitting on a bench before approaching the victim and her mother from behind in the crowded venue, positioning his phone near the girl's legs before running away. According to reporting on the case, investigators identified Allegretto's vehicle through CCTV footage and traced him as a named driver on the vehicle. He was arrested four days after the incident at his home in Maesteg, in Bridgend County Borough.
Allegretto appeared at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on 5 August, where he received a sentence that included 140 hours of unpaid work, completion of rehabilitation activity requirements, and a financial penalty of £199. He was also ordered to register with police under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 for five years.
Impact on the victim
The incident has had a lasting psychological effect on the young girl. Sergeant Luis Antony from South Wales Police stated that the victim continues to experience anxiety as a result of the attack.
She is worried about people walking behind her and is anxious when out and about, he explained.
Sergeant Antony emphasised the seriousness of such offences, saying
nobody should be subjected to this kind of offence. He added that
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, and expressed hope that
the outcome at court provides some comfort to her and allows her to rebuild her confidence.
Broader context of covert filming offences
This conviction reflects a wider pattern of concern around voyeurism and covert filming. According to recent reporting, South Wales Police has been investigating multiple upskirting incidents across Cardiff. In a separate case, investigators have highlighted how perpetrators often flee the scene immediately after committing such offences, making witness accounts and CCTV evidence crucial to securing convictions.
The issue of covert surveillance and image misuse has become increasingly prevalent. Research has documented a significant rise in technology-enabled abuse, with reports of individuals secretly filming partners and strangers and sharing footage online, contributing to growing concerns about privacy violations and the misuse of mobile devices for sexual gratification.
Key facts
- Alex Allegretto, 39, pleaded guilty to filming beneath a girl's skirt at St David's 2 shopping centre on 7 July
- He was identified through CCTV footage and arrested at his home in Maesteg four days after the incident
- He received 140 hours of unpaid work, rehabilitation requirements, a £199 fine, and must register as a sex offender for five years
- The victim continues to experience anxiety and worry about people approaching from behind following the incident
