The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
The police arrested a registered sex offender after they alleged that he was recording and storing footage of tenants renting rooms in his home while they were in the middle of private acts.
69-year-old Larry Phillips owns a residence in Salt Lake City, and he attends college at the University of Utah. He is a registered sex offender due to incidents that occurred in 2002 and 2006; the first for forcible sexual abuse, and the second for offensive touching.
Phillips has extra bedrooms in his house, and he shares his residence by renting them out to tenants.
At the end of July, two men who rented rooms in the home reported to the authorities that they found iPhone chargers with recording devices attached to them. The chargers were reportedly in the private bedrooms and bathrooms that the men used.
The authorities asked the men to allow them to inspect the equipment and to explain their eventual presence to Phillips by telling him they had reported a theft of personal belongings.
A search warrant was granted, and the police collected a camera that they reported had a recording of a man using the bathroom. They asserted that the man did not know he was being filmed.
As the investigation continued, the authorities learned about Phillips’ sex offender status, and it was decided that they would return to the home for a more thorough inspection.
Approximately one month later, a SWAT team went to the residence, and more than 70 devices believed to belong to Phillips were confiscated.
When the electronics were checked by the authorities, they reported that they found more than 300 video recordings with voyeuristic content. They also stated that they found at least 13 different men and women who had allegedly been victimized by unknowingly being filmed while using the facilities and having sexual relations.
It was asserted that Phillips had collected the recordings over several years.
Phillips reportedly disputed their finds and said that he had a total of four cameras in the house to keep it secure from valuables being stolen.
The authorities are currently investigating their concerns that Phillips may have placed cameras at the university.
Phillips turned himself in for the allegations last Monday, and he is expected to face charges for suspicion of voyeurism using concealed electronic equipment, and burglary.
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.