A man who sexually assaulted several women in shops by squirting liquid containing his semen at them, and who secretly filmed other women under their skirts, has been jailed for four years.

From May to September last year, William Kidd, 27, committed a number of offences against women in shops in the Macclesfield, Handforth and Denton areas of Cheshire.

He was caught on CCTV following a number of women around various shops before squirting liquid from a bottle onto them, without their knowledge. He was also recorded filming some women from behind, underneath their clothing.

When asked why he was squirting liquid at women, he told one security guard, “I’m a sex addict,” and another, “I did it to get a sexual thrill.”

Cheshire Police issued an appeal for information, releasing a CCTV image of Kidd and asking for the public’s help to identify him. A search of his mobile phone revealed the full extent of his offending.

He was charged with 25 offences in total: 11 sexual assaults, five counts of voyeurism, eight counts of filming women underneath their clothing (commonly referred to as ‘upskirting’), and one count of possession of cannabis.

Today (29 May 2026), at Manchester Crown Court, he was sentenced to four years' imprisonment.

Senior Crown Prosecutor Shannen Carey, a specially trained lawyer in CPS Mersey‑Cheshire’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) unit, said:

“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.

“The Crown Prosecution Service would like to thank the victims for their help in bringing this prosecution, and the retail staff at the stores where the offending took place for their assistance in providing evidence.

“We would also like to thank Cheshire Police for their meticulous investigation.”