The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A Florida man recently found himself jailed and charged with multiple counts of video voyeurism after being accused of secretly recording women in public spaces over several years by using a cell phone hidden in a shopping basket to record under women’s skirts.
According to reports, on July 21, a woman was shopping at Publix Market Square in Gainesville. While she was browsing, she felt a shopping basket touch her leg under her skirt. When she looked down, she believed she saw a cell phone in the basket, and the camera lens was pointing upwards. When she tried to talk to the man, he reportedly walked away without responding. As he left the store, she watched him get into a vehicle and she jotted down the license plate number.
The authorities were notified, and a deputy from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Department spoke with the alleged victim. After she told them what happened and gave them the license plate number, they collected surveillance footage from the store. It was reported that the video showed the man putting the phone in the basket and angling it so that it was aimed up the woman’s skirt.
An investigation was opened, and the man’s home was searched. The authorities reportedly uncovered approximately 2,500 videos on his personal computer that showed women in various states of undress. The clips looked like they had been taken in stores like Publix, Walmart, and Target, and the suspect was also reportedly seen in the videos.
On August 14, the suspect, who has two prior felony convictions, was taken into custody. It is expected that charges of video voyeurism on a victim under 19 years old, video voyeurism on a victim 19 years or older, and use of a two-way communications device to commit a felony will be pursued. He was initially held in lieu of a $60,000 bond, but after further consideration, a judge ordered that he be held without bail. It was also ordered that he is not allowed to use the internet.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a criminal offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.