Pick-up artists could face prosecution for sharing covert recordings of women they pursue for sex

So-called pick-up artists could be prosecuted for sharing covert recordings of women they pursue for sex on the internet.

The pickup artist community, which is centred around men using manipulative techniques to seduce women, has been criticised for objectifying women as targets instead of equals, and encouraging sexual violence.

An investigation by Panorama, due to air on BBC One on Monday evening, features a journalist going undercover inside highly controversial industry.

Myles Bonnar, the journalist, takes part in a “boot camp” in London run by a company called Street Attraction where six students pay £600 each to master pick up artistry.

Street Attraction posts recordings of Eddie Hitchins, who runs the boot camp, and other coaches apparently with young women. It calls these clips “infield videos”.

Hitchins, whose real name is Edib Baraktarovic, also runs a website which sits behind a paywall where he purports to divulge his pick up tips “all the way to the bedroom”. He says this also includes covert filming.

Richard Hood, another instructor whose real name is Ryszard Kaptur, coached the undercover journalist on how to get over what is termed Last Minute Resistance (LMR) in the world of pick-up artists.

Samantha Pegg, a senior lecturer at Nottingham Law School who specialises in sexual offences and pornography, told The Independent: “Although it is not illegal to record conversations it may amount to an offence if these recordings are published, particularly when the content is so delicate.

“There is now a significant push across the criminal justice system to tackle cyber-enabled violence against women and girls and there are a number of offences that can be used to tackle such behaviours.

"The Obscene Publications Act 1959 makes it an offence to publish (including sharing with one individual online) obscene materials and such audio recordings may amount to obscene materials.”

Kate Parker, a criminal barrister, told Panorama the explicit videos could be illegal.

• Read more

From changing rooms to toilets: The dark trend of hidden spy cameras

“It’s plain to me, sharing of that kind of content online is obscene because it’s private content and was never intended to be broadcast,” she said. “If I was prosecuting that, I think I would charge them under either the Communications Act or the Miscommunications Act, in relation to indecent, obscene or offensive footage.”

Pressed about whether instructing pupils about how to get over “last-minute resistance” is legally challenging, she said she thought it was "really troubling" because it encourages the young men to "bypass any red flags that are put up by these women".

She added: "But I think once we have a test case of this kind of behaviour that goes through the courts and results in conviction, everyone – not least the pick-up artists themselves – will be a lot clearer on what they can and can’t do.”

The lawyer also noted that criminal law is disposed towards playing “catch-up with social phenomena” and “new types of behaviour”.

The show, titled Secrets of the Seduction Boot Camp and which will be broadcast on BBC One at 8.30pm, found Street Attraction also runs residential courses in Eastern Europe.

Hitchins denied he taught men to coerce women into sex and denied publishing secret recordings of women when questioned by the Panorama journalist. He insisted that he told his clients to ascertain the ages of women they speak to – as well as also denying he published audio of himself having sex with women.

He said: “If anything we help prevent rape culture, to help prevent them getting involved in anything illegal or non-consensual.”

Hood also denied coaching men to push women into sex and also claimed they had only filmed female actors who had provided permission.

Experts have told The Independent that growing numbers of women are being secretly filmed on spy cameras as covert recording technology becomes cheaper and more readily available.

Peeping toms are fitting clandestine cameras in rental and student properties or public spaces including toilets, swimming pool cubicles, changing rooms and tanning salons, in order to obtain explicit photos of women without gaining their permission.

Read more

Read more From changing rooms to toilets: The dark trend of hidden spy cameras