William Kidd

William Kidd, 27, was convicted of 25 sexual offences and sentenced to four years' imprisonment at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on Friday, 29 May 2026.

The court heard that between May and September 2025, Kidd committed a series of offences against women in shops in the Macclesfield and Handforth areas of Cheshire and the Denton area of Greater Manchester. He was caught on CCTV following women around various shops before spraying liquid from a bottle containing his semen onto them without their knowledge. He was also recorded filming some women from behind, underneath their clothing.

Kidd, of no fixed abode, initially pleaded not guilty to 11 counts of sexual assault, eight counts of filming women underneath their clothing and one count of possession of cannabis, but changed his pleas to guilty at the sentencing hearing. He had previously pleaded guilty to five counts of voyeurism.

When confronted by security staff, Kidd told one guard, "I'm a sex addict", and another, "I did it to get a sexual thrill". A search of his mobile phone revealed the full extent of his offending.

Senior Crown Prosecutor Shannen Carey, of the Crown Prosecution Service's Mersey-Cheshire Rape and Serious Sexual Offences unit, said after sentencing: "Over a period of around four months last summer, William Kidd became a prolific offender targeting women who were completely unaware of what he was doing and were simply shopping. Kidd clearly gave no thought at all to how these women would feel. The effect of what he did will no doubt stay with the victims for a long time, and he is now a convicted sex offender."

Detective Constable Tiffany Berry-Perkin from Cheshire Police commended the victims for their strength and bravery throughout the investigation, stating that their support enabled officers to gather overwhelming evidence against Kidd.