Former School Counselor Hid Cameras in Boys’ Bathroom

A former counselor at a private school in Riverside County pleaded guilty today to possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and placing a hidden camera inside bathrooms to film boys using the toilet and showers.

Matthew Daniel Johnson, 34, of Bryan, Texas, pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. He was remanded into federal custody after he pleaded guilty...

During the search of his residence, Johnson admitted to law enforcement that he had hidden a pen-shaped recording device in a toilet paper holder inside of a school bathroom, across the hall from his office as a school counselor at La Sierra Academy in Riverside. more

NB: Spycam Detection Training is available.

Landlord's Son Plants Spycam - Gets Door Lock Code from Building Camera

According to court documents, the man was accused of attempting to, or successfully entering, a woman’s apartment on 64 occasions... The victim, a woman in her 20s, lived in a one-room apartment owned by the perpetrator's father.

The man tried to break into the apartment by entering random number combinations into the apartment’s electronic lock 26 times. After these failed attempts, he discovered the passcode by watching CCTV footage from the building. He then entered the victim’s home 38 times and installed a spycam to film the victim for sexual purposes...

An appeals court upheld a two-year and six-month prison term, suspended for four years, for a 48-year-old man convicted of illegally breaking into a woman’s apartment numerous times and installing a spy camera for sexual purposes. more

Meanwhile, at my local restaurant...

GOP primary loser, and loser’s wife charged with secretly recording political rival...

NJ - Two women, including an unsuccessful candidate for Township Committee and the wife of another unsuccessful candidate, were charged Monday in what could be Readington's version of Watergate.

Jacqueline Hindle, 49, who lost in June's hotly contested Republican primary for two Township Committee seats, and Christina Albrecht, 45, the wife of the other unsuccessful candidate, Ben Smith, have been charged by the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office with an alleged scheme to record a private conversation between Mayor Adam Mueller and Deputy Mayor Vincent Panico at The Rail restaurant in Whitehouse Station.

According to a report from Hunterdon County Prosecutor Renee Robeson, Readington Township Police received notification July 8 that an audio recording device was found on the metal fence surrounding the patio at The Rail at Readington.

The two were charged with violating sections of the New Jersey Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act. more

"My family knew that my father had been tapping the phone lines."

IT WAS PAST CURFEW. My friend cut his headlights and dropped me off in my driveway. From the little peaked window atop the garage, yellow light filtered.

Someone was in the attic.

I walked up the pebble path that bordered the house, opened the side door, and stepped into the garage.

It was hot. It was dark. The ladder to the attic was folded down, and from the ceiling-access square a faint light glowed. I heard my mother's voice. I took a step closer to catch what she was saying.

"Mom?" I said.

I heard a click. She stopped talking.

"Beth Anne?" my dad said from above.

"Dad? What are you doing?" "I'll be in in a little bit." I walked into the house and down the hallway and peeked into my parents' room. My mother was asleep on her side of the bed.

A FEW YEARS LATER, when I was away at college, I learned that my father had been tapping the phone lines. more$

Mistress Recorded Trysts with Italian Minister on ‘Spy Glasses’

Gennaro Sangiuliano’s spurned former lover took to social media to reveal details of their affair.

Gennaro Sangiuliano, the culture minister who is married, met Maria Rosaria Boccia, a former men’s fashion retailer from Pompeii, at a political rally a year ago.

She subsequently attended ministerial meetings, gained access to the Palazzo Montecitorio, home to one of Italy’s two parliamentary houses, and accompanied Sangiuliano, 62, at official events around the country, from Taormina in Sicily to Riva Ligure in Liguria.

Boccia has accused her former lover of misusing public funds to pay for her trips, providing access to confidential information and appointing her as an adviser despite a conflict of interest.

She has supported her assertions with audio recordings of phone calls with ministerial officials, screenshots of emails and flight tickets, and photos of confidential programmes for official events.

Throughout their affair she recorded an unknown number of private conversations, using her phone and a pair of Ray-Ban Stories sunglasses, which have a built-in camera and microphone. Footage taken also shows the corridors of the Palazzo Montecitorio, where it is forbidden to film. more

Trump Aides Evacuated Offices - Bugging Fears

The Trump campaign and Republican National Committee offices in West Palm Beach, Fla., were abuzz with talk of listening devices and espionage, possibly by a foreign government. The police were called and the offices were closed for a forensic search. The reality was more Charlie Chaplin than John le Carré.

A plastic prank device that can be purchased on Amazon for $13.97 was the cause of the problem.

A police report from the West Palm Beach police department, obtained by The New York Times, detailed the incident. Devices were found on Thursday after people heard beeping under a staff member’s desk at the Trump campaign offices. When Trump officials searched, they found additional devices, for a total of three. more

Weird items that people think are bugs is an issue more common than you might think. 

Read, "Is This a Bug?"

Doc Boners: Recording Patients with Hidden Cameras

CA - An email sent to patients of a California chiropractic clinic informed them that a hidden camera was found inside an office bathroom and a chiropractor was arrested, according to a new lawsuit.

Dr. Nicholas Vanderhyde, 40, who was arrested in June, is accused of “strategically” hiding the camera in a cabinet to record patients, including children, and their families undressing at The Joint Chiropractic’s office in Valencia, a lawsuit filed in California Superior Court in Los Angeles County says...

According to the complaint, The Joint Chiropractic knew Vanderhyde was a sexual “predator” before another employee discovered the camera, equipped with a battery pack, inside a cabinet. more

Doc Boner II: MA - The owner of a Peabody chiropractic business is facing charges that he recorded nude visitors in his clinic after a hidden spy camera was found in a bathroom last week. more

Doc Boner III: NJ - Chiropractor charged after hidden camera found in bathroom at Springfield, NJ office. more

In other recent spy cam news...

Swim coach accused of hiding camera in changing room and recording teens.

Target shopper sees man record her in dressing room, then starts chasing him.

Girls were secretly recorded at Forever 21 and Six Flags by married couple.

Hidden camera filming through hole in trash can found in hospital bathroom.

Bugging Did Not Pay

A mother who bugged her ex-boyfriend's car and redirected his post in a bid to get more child support is facing jail for stalking. Veronica Jackson, 44, secretly placed a tracker on Kevin McCormack's vehicle and diverted his letters to a drop-off location in a bid to prove he had a job - and could afford £200 monthly maintenance.

Jobless Mr McCormack had claimed he was only able to give £6.25 a week to help with the upkeep of the couple's 12-year-old daughter. Warrington Magistrates Court heard the pair had began a relationship in 2010 and had a daughter together in 2012, but they split up eight years later.

The court was told Mr McCormack received a series of messages from Jackson, from Macclesfield, Cheshire, showing routes he had taken to and from his home. They also included the times of the journeys and messages from Jackson saying: ''I know where you are - I know what you are doing.'' more

AirTag Goes to Court

The District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, United States of America says a native of Tajikistan, Ibodullo Muhiddinov, is charged with the intent to injure, harass, intimidate, and place under surveillance another person, that is, S.K.

Ibodullo Muhiddinov, reportedly linked to a Russian human smuggling network, has tracked his ex-wife in the United States using the AirTag. more

Spy Rock Mystery (probably) Solved.

Last week we reported on a mystery spy rock planted in a suburban neighborhood. No one knew why. This week, there is a likely solution. The same day, about 40 miles away...

On May 20, 2024, at approximately 10:31 p.m., the Glendale Police Department arrested four Colombian national burglary suspects in the Emerald Isle area of Glendale.

During the vehicle search, officers found a video surveillance device with a battery pack charging system camouflaged with leaves. This evidence, combined with the finding of freshly disturbed dirt in a planter in the cul-de-sac, led Glendale detectives to believe that the suspects had strategically placed the camera in the planter. 

This method allowed them to create a sophisticated method to gain a view of residences and know when homeowners would leave.

Officers also located a construction hard hat and a vest, which can be used as a ruse to approach homes with minimal suspicion...During that pursuit, the suspects discarded stolen items, including a WiFi signal jammer to disable home security systems. more

Florida Mother Finds Hidden Cameras After Ex-Boyfriend Moved Out

A concerned mother called the police because she found a small hidden camera in an electrical outlet in her young adult daughter's bathroom. According to the Ocala Police Department, an officer who went to the home to investigate took the small camera from behind the bathroom electrical outlet...Police added that the outlet was directly facing the shower and toilet.

Two days later, police were called to the home again because another camera had been found inside the residence. This time, police say the camera was disguised as a Wi-Fi repeater in the daughter's room.

The woman told police that the router was installed by her ex-boyfriend...who lived with the mother and daughter for a time. more

What TSCM techs know that police don't... "If you find one surveillance device, keep searching."

In other spy cam news...
The Gray's Creek Fire Department fire chief was arrested Thursday after allegedly placing a camera in the fire station's vent. more

A 39-year-old man has been arrested after officials with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office say he used a hidden camera disguised as a "phone charger" to spy live on an alleged victim. We’re told years went by before she noticed the live feed on his phone. “Perverts and sick people are going to be creative and try to find a way to invade your privacy,” Sheriff Marco Lopez said... He’s encouraging people to check for hidden cameras in their homes, vacation homes, and hotel rooms. more

Recent Spycam News - Disturbing Trend

• Washougal man charged with voyeurism, accused of recording women in bathroom.
Police say he hid cellphone in home he was hired to clean. more

• A voyeurism suspect returned to court Monday after admitting to planting a phone inside a bathroom at a Northern Kentucky medical facility and secretly recording victims in bathrooms for “years” for the “thrill,” police records show. more

• Victoria police have released a surveillance photo of a man suspected of taking pictures or video of a woman using a change room at a downtown store Wednesday afternoon. The suspect, who fled when confronted by the staff member, is described as having thick black hair and wearing a plaid jacket with a red-and-yellow logo on the back. more

• Jail for serial voyeur who took upskirt photos, videos of over 100 women in 10 years. more

• Cruise Ship Worker Accused of Hiding Cameras in Bathrooms to Spy on Guests more

• A Traverse City restaurant owner accused of hiding a camera in the women's bathroom of his business has pleaded no contest to all charges against him, including three felonies...A Traverse City police officer got in touch with the employee, and she said she believed there was a potential spy camera installed in a wall outlet in the women's bathroom at the business. more

• Police arrested a Harrisburg man they said allegedly took videos of various people in bathrooms at Arkansas State University...Police said upon examination of the devices, officers were about to find digital evidence of video voyeurism recorded in restrooms at Arkansas State University with at least 34 victims being recorded. more

• A new report gives detail on an 18-year-old who was arrested on a video voyeurism charge Wednesday after a video went viral showing customers in a Jacksonville Marshalls store confronting the teen they said was recording women in the restroom...Titus McDonell, 18, told police while he was detained in the same shopping center where the incident occurred a week prior that he was "just bored that day." more

Notice a trend? ...bathrooms... You don't have to be a victim. Click here... Learn how to spot spycams.

One Bugged Bugger

A husband who was fined BD50 for eavesdropping on his wife’s phone calls without her consent, bugging her house and sending the recordings to his siblings has lost his final appeal at the Cassation Court. 

Last July, the Public Prosecution issued an order fining the Arab man BD20 on eavesdropping charges, without referring the misdemeanour to court, but he objected to the ruling in the Lower Criminal Court. more

Cruise Ship Employee Hid Cameras in Bathrooms to Spy

A Royal Caribbean cruise ship worker was arrested Sunday in Fort Lauderdale after admitting to planting hidden cameras in guest bathrooms to spy on unsuspecting women and children for months, federal officials say.

Arvin Joseph Mirasol is facing federal production and possession of child porn charges. The 34-year-old also has six counts of video voyeurism, all third-degree felonies, state court records show...Mirasol also admitted to entering rooms and hiding under the bed to record people naked...He remains in Broward jail as of Tuesday afternoon. more

You don't have to be a victim of spycamers. Learn how.

Louisiana Deputy Fired - Allegedly Spying On Former Girlfriend

A long-serving sheriff's deputy in Louisiana who allegedly told his supervisor that he had planted a recording device in his ex-girlfriend's bedroom has been fired and arrested, following a brief investigation. 

As The (Baton Rouge) Advocate reports, David Pizzolato Jr. went inside his ex-girlfriend's apartment in early January, using a key that he had, and placed a digital recording device on her headboard, the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office said this week. more

The $1.76m Eavesdropping Story

Mr Loudon, of Houston, Texas, and his wife worked in home offices within 20 feet of each other.

His wife - a mergers and acquisitions manager at BP - worked on the oil giant's takeover of TravelCenters.

"As a result, they frequently overheard and witnessed each other's work-related conversations and video conferences." ...Mr Loudon confessed to his wife about buying the TravelCenters shares after the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority began asking questions about the BP deal and who was "in the know"...The US Securities and Exchange Commission alleged Tyler Loudon made $1.76m in illegal profits....His wife - who was "stunned by this revelation" - reported the trading to her supervisor at BP.

Mr Loudon's wife moved out of the house and ceased all contact with him. In June, she initiated divorce proceedings. more

Weird Wiretapping Headline: Turtle Boy Free Again

Turtleboy blogger freed from jail, pleads not guilty to new witness intimidation, wiretapping charges. 

Jailed for nearly two months, Turtleboy blogger Aidan Kearney is free once more after a judge on Friday ordered his release and declined to set additional bail conditions following his arraignment on new witness intimidation and wiretapping charges. The polarizing blogger exited Norfolk Superior Court to raucous cheers from a crowd of his supporters, taking selfies and doling out handshakes and fist bumps like a quarterback after the winning game. more

Man Charged for Putting 'SPY' Cameras in Seattle Expedia HQ Bathrooms

A 42-year-old Lynnwood man is facing multiple felony charges for allegedly putting hidden “spy” cameras in two bathrooms at the Expedia Group headquarters in Seattle...

According to charging documents, Vargas-Fernandez placed cameras under the sink aimed at the toilet in two all-gender bathrooms at the Expedia office building between Dec. 4, 2023, and Jan. 11, 2024. Investigators said at least 10 victims were seen in the illegal footage and believe “several more victims have yet to be discovered.”

When officers searched Vargas-Fernandez’s apartment after his arrest, they found at least “33 various spy cameras carrying from full, partial, no concealment,” according to court documents. Investigators also found at least 22 SD cards and six hard drives with “at least 20 terabytes of storage.” more  video

Corporate security directors, there is an innovative, preemptive, low-cost solution...
Spy Camera Detection Training for your security and facilities personnel. It includes a Recording in the Workplace Policy and Inspection Log. Training, a Policy and Inspection Log with show your due diligence in court should an incident arise.

Crime: Cameras Hidden in a Church Bathroom

UPDATE: U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Thursday sentenced a man who hid a video camera in a bathroom to capture images of a young girl to 25 years in prison. more

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U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Stephen Nicot, 61, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to receipt of child pornography...

Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that between 2012 and 2014, Nicot hid a camera in the bathroom of a church located in the Western District of New York. 

Nicot positioned the camera so that it would capture video and images of naked individuals using the shower in the church bathroom. He did this knowing some of the individuals would be under the age of 18 and he planned to display the video of the minors. 

...law enforcement executed a warrant at the Nicot’s residence and recovered a memory card and USB drive, which contained videos and images of at least five minor victims using the church bathroom and shower. Two cell phones were also seized, which contained naked images of a minor victim that were recorded by a camera hidden in a bathroom of Nicot’s residence. more

Don't let you or your children become victims. 

Know how to spot hidden spy cameras. 

Take the course.

Widow: Hugh Hefner Had ‘Little Spy Holes’ to Record Celebs

Crystal Hefner has revealed that her late husband, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, had camera peepholes in his bedroom and even in the foot of his bed — where he says he recorded sexual encounters with celebrities and high-ranking politicians, apparently without their knowledge...

The revelation is part of Hefner’s upcoming tell-all book, Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself, which is due out on January 23...

In the book, Hefner adds that Hef, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 91, claimed to have tapes of numerous A-list celebrities and “videos of wild orgies, also with celebrities and politicians and business leaders, some of whom were married.”... It has not been reported what Hef did with all those videos... more