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Perverts collecting upskirting and hidden camera pictures on the rise in New Zealand

Revenge porn, upskirting and hidden camera crime may sound like something out of a TV show, but experts are warning it is growing in New Zealand. 

Newshub was told of one woman who was at a market with her children when she noticed a man filming up her skirt so she confronted him. She said the man barely reacted and instead walked off unflustered. 

The victim was devastated she had been targeted but grew frustrated at herself, believing her clothing may have encouraged the offender. 

"She said, 'maybe my skirt was too short'. That can be women's natural reaction and it's that notion of victim-blaming that is pervasive, it is absolutely a problem here," University of Auckland criminology professor Claire Meehan said. 

Another woman was shopping at Farmers when a man filmed up her skirt. The woman didn't notice but luckily security guards did and stepped in. 

But when the woman tried to press charges, she was met with victim blaming and suggestions that it wasn't an issue because she hadn't noticed. 

Meehan told Newshub image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) is a real problem. 

She said upskirting is a common form of IBSA and many Kiwis are completely unaware of it. 

"People who are doing this… it's not a one-off. They are collecting a series of images either for sexual gratification or to distress the victim or sell them on or upload them." 

"There is the immediate harm to the victim but then also if those images are put up online or sold on there are more harms involved."

According to Netsafe, sharing or threatening to share nude or nearly nude images or videos of someone else without their consent can be an offence under the Harmful Digital Communications Act. If prosecuted, the perpetrator can face a fine of up to $50,000 or two years' jail.

However, Meehan said the threshold to meet the Act is high, which makes it difficult for victims to get justice. 

"Even if they do know [about the images], there have been numerous cases in front of judges… and if a victim doesn't go to pieces or take time off work, it is seen as not affecting them much and that's obviously not the case."

'Prisoners in their own home'

Hidden cameras aren't just used in public, they are also used by people in abusive relationships to trap and control women. 

Women's Refuge policy advisor Dr Natalie Thorburn said abusers often utilise cameras to spy on or blackmail their partners. 

Women who are told about the cameras become "prisoners in their own homes" because they can't do anything without their abuser knowing. The cameras make it incredibly hard for them to get help or escape and leaves them isolated from friends and family. 

Women who are told about the cameras become "prisoners in their own homes".
Women who are told about the cameras become "prisoners in their own homes". Photo credit: Getty Images

Thorburn said cameras are also often hidden around the home leaving women frightened and on edge because they can't figure out how their abuser knows so much. 

"The abuser drip feeds them information about what they’ve been doing, and the victim has no idea how they know so many details about their mundane daily activities," she said. 

"Occasionally hidden cameras in the bedroom become later sources of threat, with abusers threatening to share the films with others in an attempt to make victims do what they want.

"It goes hand in hand with other stalking tactics." 

She said abusers rarely face criminal consequences, which leaves victims believing that there is "no help or justice for them". 

Revenge porn is steadily increasing

Netsafe says the increase in IBSA is putting pressure on New Zealand's already stretched cybercrime services.

"I don't think we are keeping up and I don't think any country could really claim that it's keeping up with all those kinds of complex, leading-edge cybercrime options," CEO Martin Cocker said. 

"New Zealand could massively increase its capacity in cybercrime enforcement and still be short."

The most common form of IBSA Netsafe sees is revenge porn, which is pictures or videos that were taken with consent but shared without. 

"Revenge porn as a category has risen pretty steadily over the past few years. That whole category of activity is on the rise." 

Revenge porn can have huge impacts on victims. Sally* had her nude images leaked when she was at school.

As a result the 16-year-old was ostracized by her peers and felt helpless. She even contemplated taking her own life. 

She was met with shame and teasing as the picture spread and nobody cared that it had been shared without consent. 

Ava* also had her nude images shared when she was just 15 years old. She exchanged explicit photographs with a male student at the same school who reassured her he wouldn't share them. But within weeks, he became annoyed at her and sent her pictures to his friend, who was "known for collecting girls' naked pictures". 

"At the time it's consensual, but everything that happens after that is where the problem is," she said. 

The images were uploaded into one of the group chats with students from a mixture of year levels. 

Now 19, Ava says more education around consent is needed to stop it happening from others. 

Where to find help and support: