Customers at an Aberdeen supermarket were targeted by a predatory shop assistant, the city’s sheriff court heard.
Craig Hawick crouched down within the self-service checkout area to snap compromising pictures of women on his mobile phone.
Details of his actions, known as “upskirting”, were revealed as he pleaded guilty to committing the offences while at work at the Lidl supermarket in the city’s Hutcheon Street on January 8.
The 19-year-old was added to the sex offender’s register after admitting taking photographs from beneath the clothing of women at the supermarket, unbeknown to them.
Fiscal depute Lynne McVicar read from a police report, based on footage from the store’s security cameras.
She said: “The CCTV showed the accused working within the self-service checkout area.
“At 5.45pm he dropped to a crouch, extended his arm under the female’s dress with his phone in his hand.
“The CCTV is of such good quality that it can be seen the phone is in front camera mode.
“The accused returned to this female and did this a number of times.”
The prosecutor said that 10 minutes later, the teenager would do the same to another woman.
She added: “Both were completely unaware of the accused’s actions.”
The court was told Hawick’s behaviour came to light when another customer spotted him crouch down to take the photographs.
When interviewed by police two weeks later, officers said he “spoke freely” about his actions and admitted responsibility.
Ms McVicar said police searched his Park Street home and seized, among other items, a laptop and a memory card.
Hawick’s solicitor told the court that store management had since “followed through on disciplinary proceedings” and the teenager had lost his job.
Paul Barnett argued a ban put in place on Hawick, forbidding him from owning any electrical equipment capable of capturing images – including mobile phones, laptops or cameras – was making “life extremely difficult”.
“He is a 19-year-old man who uses internet banking to pay his bills and he has just lost his job,” he added.
“This order prevents him from having a smartphone or personal computer.”
Sheriff William Summers allowed the teenager to be bailed on the standard conditions, allowing him to use the gadgets once more.
The sheriff ordered background reports and told Hawick to return to court at the end of March for sentencing.