Man Free to Sell Up-Skirt Videos?
e 17, 2002 11:50 am EST

TORONTO (Reuters) - A man who sells amateur videos that provide views up women's skirts has been under police surveillance for two months, but authorities said on Friday there was little they can do as there were no identifiable victims.

Police in Canada's most populous city have been investigating Eugene Francois but have not laid charges because the law does not adequately address surreptitious video-taping, Detective Sergeant Paul Gillespie said.

"We've viewed the video and we're trying to determine what appropriate criminal charges can be laid," Gillespie said.

He added: "We're trying to get some new laws written to cover some of the areas that aren't covered. ... This is just the first of various (video-taping) situations that are cropping up."

Gillespie said it was uncertain whether police can lay charges under current legislation if the victims cannot be identified.

"That's a gray area. That's one of the things we're looking into right now," he said.

The video, which is sold over the Internet, shows a compilation of camera shots up the skirts of various women. Gillespie said some of the women in the video are shown posing but others are apparently unaware they are being caught on tape.

Toronto police sergeant Jim Muscat said he was skeptical of whether the video breaks any laws.

"Where's the evidence that a criminal act has taken place?" Muscat said.

Francois, contacted by Reuters, refused to comment.