Man caught upskirting at British Museum by off-duty officer jailed

Jake Verano Gomez was sentenced to four months in prison CREDIT: Metropolitan Police

A man caught upskirting a woman at the British Museum by an off-duty police officer has been jailed for four months.

Jake Verano Gomez, 33, was seen by the City of London officer, who was on his day off, secretly recording a woman on Aug 19.

The officer detained the man with the help of museum staff and security before Metropolitan Police officers arrived and took him into custody.

The victim was supported by museum staff and Met officers upon arrival, police said.

Police searched Gomez’s phone and found a string of similar videos, believed to have been filmed on the same day.

The force believes there could be more women who are unaware they were victims.

Gomez, a Colombian national of no fixed address, was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay court fees at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday Aug 21.

He had earlier pleaded guilty to recording an image under clothing to observe another without consent.

Upskirting refers to the act of taking a sexually intrusive photograph or video up someone’s skirt without their permission.

It was made a criminal offence under the Voyeurism (Offences) Act 2019, which was introduced after a campaign by writer Gina Martin, who was targeted herself at a festival in 2017.

Upskirting has ‘devastating impact’

Speaking after Gomez’s sentencing, Detective Constable Holly Wright, from the Public Protection team covering Camden, said: “These kinds of offences have a devastating impact on women and girls who should be free to go about their lives without fear of being the victim of such a horrendous crime.

“Fortunately the presence of our colleague from City of London Police has meant Gomez has now been brought to justice.

“Following his arrest, Gomez’s phone was interrogated by Met detectives, they found a number of videos of other victims, also believed to have been filmed that day… Sadly, this may mean there are more women who are unaware that they have been the victim of crime.

“If you were at the British Museum on Monday, 19 August around 14:00hrs and think you may have been a victim, I am asking you to come forward and speak to us.”