Eight months in prison was handed to a man in 2019, London Paedophile Sanjayan Nadarajah, who recorded around fifty ‘upskirting’ recordings on the London Underground and uploaded them on a porn website. He is out and about, is he secretly filming you?
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Sanjayan Nadarajah guilty please
At Highbury Magistrates’ Court on February 4, 2019, Sanjayan Nadarajah, 43, entered a guilty plea to five counts of outraging public decency and two counts of voyeurism. March 2019 saw Blackfriars Crown Court sentence Sanjayan Nadarajah to eight months in prison and award a five-year SHPO.
Upskirting and uploading videos to porn sites
Using a disguised camera phone in his laptop bag, Sanjayan Nadarajah surreptitiously shot 46 movies under women’s skirts between May and July 2018 and posted them to a porn website. Alerted to the website’s freely available “upskirting” videos, officers discovered eleven more locked versions.
London Underground
Most films were shot on the London Underground; some were on an escalator at a retail complex. They followed Sanjayan Nadarajah, who was shown in a small number of the recordings, to his Surrey house, where he was subsequently detained in October. Sanjayan Nadarajah acknowledged in his police interrogation that he never asked permission and that he derived sexual enjoyment from discreetly filming women.
Victim Statement
In a statement read out in court, one victim, a 22-year-old woman, said she felt “sickened” and “paranoid” to find out Sanjayan Nadarajah had filmed her without knowledge.
Detective Constable Mark Pink said: “Sanjayan Nadarajah had absolutely no regard or respect for the privacy of the women he filmed, and he took pleasure in exploiting them for his sexual gain. Not only did he film them without their consent, but he then shared these sordid videos online for other like-minded people to view. I am pleased that the judge saw fit to hand Sanjayan Nadarajah an eight-month custodial sentence, and I hope it serves as a solid reminder to all that we absolutely will not tolerate unwanted sexual behaviour on the railways. We will find these offenders and bring them before the courts.”
Siwan Hayward, Director of Compliance and Policing at Transport for London, said: “Sanjayan Nadarajah’s behaviour was predatory and criminal. We are glad he has been imprisoned for this inexcusable crime and are determined to rid the transport network of this vile offence. We thank the women for coming forward and reporting these incidents and helping to prevent Sanjayan Nadarajah from preying on others. We would strongly encourage anyone that experiences anything similar to please report it by texting 61016 or calling 101.”
UPDATE – Sanjayan Nadarajah is now a Motivational Speaker
Sanjay Nadarajah is currently employed as a Director in a prominent quality and pharmaceutical company in the UK. The entity is referred to as Inglasia Pharma Solutions (http://inglasia.com/). He resigned as Director at Companies House in 2019; nonetheless, he remains highly active, particularly on LinkedIn, where he has a substantial following, who must be unaware of his previous deviant background.
Why do they upskirt?
The act of recording upskirt videos and uploading them to pornographic websites by sex offenders is a disturbing violation of privacy and consent. Understanding why such individuals commit these crimes requires examining several psychological, social, and technological factors. This behaviour can be linked to voyeurism, control, desensitisation through pornography, societal objectification of women, and the anonymity provided by digital platforms. By analysing these contributing factors, we can better comprehend the motivations behind these actions and, more importantly, consider strategies to prevent them.
Voyeurism and the Thrill of Power
Upskirting is a form of voyeurism, which is characterised by an individual’s desire to secretly observe others in private or intimate settings without their consent. For many sex offenders, the thrill of watching someone without their knowledge or permission provides a sense of excitement and control. This thrill-seeking behaviour can evolve into increasingly invasive acts, such as recording these moments on camera. In these cases, it is not just the visual stimulus that excites the perpetrator but also the psychological rush of having power over someone else’s body without their consent.
Desensitisation Through Pornography
The consumption of extreme and exploitative pornography can lead to desensitisation over time, especially when users consistently seek out more graphic or boundary-pushing material to maintain the same level of arousal. In the case of sex offenders who engage in upskirting, there is often an escalation in behaviour fueled by exposure to voyeuristic pornography. For some, watching videos may no longer suffice, and they may feel compelled to create their own content to fulfil these desires. The line between consensual pornography and illegal voyeuristic material becomes blurred for them, mainly when such material is widely available and easily accessible online.
Objectification of Women
A critical societal factor that underpins the act of upskirting is the pervasive objectification of women in media and culture. From advertisements to films, women’s bodies are often commodified and presented as objects of sexual desire, sometimes reducing them to little more than parts of a whole. This dehumanisation allows offenders to detach from the emotional and ethical consequences of their actions, as they no longer see their victims as people with autonomy and rights. Instead, the individuals they target are reduced to sexual objects, which enables the offender to justify their behaviour as mere “entertainment” or “content creation” for pornography websites.
The Role of Anonymity in the Digital Age
The internet provides a platform where anonymity is often guaranteed. Websites that host user-generated pornographic content sometimes do little to verify the origin of the videos or ensure that they were created with the consent of all parties involved. This anonymity emboldens offenders, believing there will be little to no consequences. Moreover, the ease with which videos can be uploaded and shared globally adds to the allure. Perpetrators may feel an increased sense of validation or power when their videos garner views, comments, or even monetary compensation from advertisements.
Lack of Consequences and Deterrents
The difficulty in enforcing laws surrounding privacy violations, like upskirting, further emboldens offenders. In many regions, laws have not kept pace with technological advancements, making it challenging for law enforcement to prosecute such crimes effectively. Furthermore, victims often do not realise they have been filmed, and even if they do, the process of taking legal action can be cumbersome, emotionally draining, and invasive. This lack of immediate and significant consequences can make it easier for offenders to continue their behaviour with little fear of repercussions.
Escalation of Behaviour
Like many sexual crimes, the act of upskirting may be part of a broader pattern of escalating deviant behaviour. What begins as secretive voyeurism may grow into more aggressive and harmful actions. Offenders may start with upskirting and gradually escalate to more invasive and dangerous behaviours. The public sharing of these videos can serve as a personal validation of their actions and a gateway to further criminal acts. The psychological rewards they receive from this behaviour reinforce a dangerous cycle of deviance.
Impact on Victims
The motivations of offenders should be examined in light of the devastating impact their actions have on victims. The act of upskirting represents not just a physical violation but a profound emotional and psychological invasion. Victims often experience feelings of shame, fear, and helplessness, particularly when their images are shared without their consent across global platforms. The internet’s permanence means these violations can follow victims indefinitely, compounding the trauma. Offenders may not consider these consequences, further dehumanising their victims as they prioritise their sexual gratification.
Conclusion
The act of upskirting and subsequently uploading such videos to pornographic websites is a profoundly harmful violation rooted in voyeurism, desensitisation, objectification, and the anonymity afforded by the internet. Understanding the complex motivations behind these acts highlights the urgent need for more robust legal frameworks, technological deterrents, and societal change. Empowering victims, enforcing privacy laws, and challenging the objectification of women in media are all necessary steps toward addressing this growing issue. The intersection of psychology, technology, and societal norms plays a significant role in shaping the behaviours of offenders. Still, with increased awareness and appropriate interventions, progress can be made in curbing these crimes.
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to Sussex Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.