The 32-year-old was using the device at home when it blew up, prompting him to hand himself in at the local police station.

However, he was not charged as he had not committed a sexual offence.

Police in Madison, Wisconsin, said he had been counselled on his behaviour and then released.

Police Chief Mike Koval explained: “He said he had purchased a shoe camera that he intended to use to take upskirt videos of females, but the camera battery exploded prior to obtaining any video.”

The practice of upskirting became an offence in the state in 2015, carrying with it a maximum sentence of three-and-a-half years’ imprisonment.