Crime & Safety

Piedra Pleads Guilty to 'Upskirting' Charge

The Westchester District Attorney today announced that a Sleepy Hollow man pled guilty in county court of taking pictures under women's skirts in a White Plains Target store last summer.

Jose Piedra, 48, arrested in August, 2011 after being caught by White Plains Target store security , today pled guilty in County Court.

Westchester District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced that Piedra, of Sleepy Hollow, pled guilty to one count of second-degree unlawful surveillance, a felony.

Piedra was caught on Target’s surveillance video holding his cellular phone under women’s skirts, or “upskirting” them, according to DiFiore. As White Plains Police were searching the store for the culprit, store security apparently continued to watch video of Piedra doing the same thing to another woman in the store.

Find out what's happening in New Rochellewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Police with a warrant retrieved several video clip files of at least three women under similar circumstance on Piedra’s phone.

Sentencing is set to begin on Dec. 13. If found guilty, the maximum possible sentence is four years in state prison, and Piedra would have to be registered as a sex offender.

Find out what's happening in New Rochellewith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.