A Flintshire Paedophile, Ian Betts, recorded footage under the skirts of women and girls while they shopped at Tesco. Ian Betts, 61, of Celyn Park in Carmel, Flintshire, was sentenced at Mould Crown Court today for preying on shoppers at the Mould supermarket over several months.
Prosecutor David Mainstone presented CCTV footage depicting the instant a vigilant shopper observed the defendant behaving suspiciously at the supermarket on October 13, 2021. Ian Betts was observed positioned behind a 16-year-old girl before his phone illuminated as he crouched and directed the camera beneath her skirt.
The perpetrator was promptly seized by the collar of his jacket before the child and her father were notified, with the father insisting on inspecting the contents of the defendant’s phone. Following the discovery of a video recorded just prior, Ian Betts was escorted to the customer service counter where he was apprehended by the police.
Authorities conducted a search of his residence and uncovered two hard discs with over 2,900 illicit photographs and videos of minors. This also resulted in the revelation that a greater number of women and girls had been victimised by Ian Betts while shopping at the town centre supermarket.
Ian Betts’ Clubcard was analysed to determine when he had been in the store on previous occasions. These dates were cross referenced with in-store CCTV and his own videos to try and identify the victims – who were found to include four adult women and three further schoolgirls – with the youngest being only 11.
The court heard from the eldest schoolgirl victim, aged 16, who said she was left feeling so paranoid going out in public places after the incident that she felt safest when her family formed a “protective bubble” around her. A mother of another young victim told the court she felt torn about telling her daughter about what Ian Betts had done to her in order to preserve her childhood innocence.
Robin Boag, defending, said his client was under no illusion that prison was the most likely option he would be facing for his crimes. He added that, since he was caught, he has remained out of trouble while being able to walk freely amongst the general public.
Judge Rhys Rowlands told the defendant his up-skirting crimes were not common in North Wales but said it did not take away from the “particularly discomforting” nature of them. Ian Betts was jailed for two years and nine months and given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order that banned him from entering the town centre store.
After Ian Betts was jailed, the court was told the vigilant Tesco customer who raised the alarm should be thanked for his actions. The judge said that, had he not done so, then “this behaviour could have continued”.
Speaking after sentencing, investigating officers DC James Moult and PCSI Erin Shawcross said: “Ian Betts is a dangerous offender who preyed on women and girls whilst they went about their day-to-day activities, unaware that they were being targeted and filmed for nothing other than his own sexual gratification. We would like to praise the victims and their families for supporting this investigation throughout, and for the courage they have shown in providing their accounts under such difficult circumstances.”
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