Wyss calls for anti upskirt law again

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - State senator Tom Wyss is once again calling on lawmakers to pass an anti-upskirt law now that prosecutors might not be able to charge another Indiana man accused of filming up womens' skirts.

David Delagrange of Fort Wayne was arrested at an Indianapolis mall in February for allegedly videotaping up womens' skirts with a shoe camera. He was charged with voyeurism, resisting arrest, and child exploitation.

Now, those voyeurism charges are pending while prosecutors look over Indiana's current voyeurism law.

Last year, NewsChannel 15 discovered a loophole in that law when an Ashley man was accused of taking pictures up a girl's skirt with a cell phone. The Dekalb County prosecutor said she could not press voyeurism charges, because the law only covers dwellings and places where a person is expected to disrobe.

Since then, Wyss has tried to update the law. "What it shows you is there are people out there that do these kinds of actions and they are sick," said Wyss. "And we need to address both their sickness as well as have something to try to deter them."

Earlier this year, he introduced a bill that would've made upskirt pictures and videos in all places a felony, but it didn't even get a hearing. Wyss said the legislature wouldn't look at a bill that would add a cost to the state.

With the Delagrange case up in the air, Wyss thinks it will persuade lawmakers to take the bill seriously. "I think that I'll probably get support out of Indianapolis legislators now," said Wyss. "It certainly showed down here the legislators in Indianapolis that there was a problem."