All across America, cases involving the non-consensual recording of people using hidden cameras — especially in private or nonpublic areas like restrooms — have been rapidly increasing. In the past, the availability of tiny cameras and recording devices was very limited. It often was difficult to find a store that sold such items and when they could be found, they were usually very expensive, sometimes with legal regulations that allowed the sale only to police and other authorized law enforcement entities. But these days, such devices are plentiful, easy to find and so inexpensive that virtually anyone can afford to have one delivered by Amazon the next day.
Sometimes such devices are used for absolutely legitimate purposes (such as by one of our clients who captured a therapist physically abusing their young child in their own home). But unfortunately, in a great many instances they are used by bad actors intent on violating the privacy of others. When secret cameras are used in this way, especially when minors are involved, such use may carry significant criminal penalties, including charges related to illegal surveillance, invasion of privacy, and distribution of indecent material such as child porn.
What to Do If You Believe You Have Been Recorded
Victims of non-consensual recordings often experience emotional distress, trauma, anxiety, PTSD, issues related to the violation of trust and other consequences tied to such unauthorized intrusions. But you should know that if you have been recorded in this way without your consent, you absolutely have legal protections. So, if this has happened to you, it is recommended that you:
Contact the Police
If you spot a device, take pictures of it but do not touch or remove the camera. Leave that part to the police. Or if you learn that others have been recorded and that the police are actively investigating such violations at a place that you know you have visited, you should also contact them right away, even if you’re not 100% sure that your privacy rights were violated. Hidden cameras placed in private or semi-private areas — such as restroom facilities — can violate multiple state and federal laws and carry serious penalties.
Contact Qualified Legal Counsel
Beyond criminal prosecution, victims of such invasions of privacy may pursue civil legal claims seeking monetary damages for invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and other harms caused by this illegal conduct. Since 1990, Sexner Injury Lawyers LLC has helped those victimized by hidden cameras obtain maximum monetary recovery and obtain some measure of justice by sending a strong signal to wrongdoers that this conduct will not be tolerated. Over $30,000,000 has been recovered for clients of Sexner Injury Lawyers LLC.
Our legal team presently represents many clients who have been affected by hidden cameras. We are very experienced in this specialized area of law, so if you have questions, we are available to speak free of charge and with complete confidentiality 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (312) 243-9922.
Recent Hidden Camera Violators Across the Country
Here are some of the most recent hidden camera cases according to available information from news sources, law enforcement, released court documents and publicly available online information. Information may be incomplete or subject to change and all individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless or until found at fault or proven guilty in a court of law.
Secret Cameras in YMCA - New Albany, Indiana
In New Albany, Indiana, Nick Pledger, an owner of a local construction company is facing multiple charges connected to allegedly placing hidden recording devices in private spaces — including residential homes and a family locker room at a local YMCA.
According to law enforcement and recently released charging documents, Pledger was arrested following a months-long investigation sparked by disturbing accounts from neighbors who reported suspicious behavior around their homes, including a man carrying a ladder and acting in ways that raised concerns. Some reports included seeing someone looking into bathroom and a man with a cell phone recording while a woman was inside her bathroom.
A search of Pledger’s devices and recording equipment allegedly included hundreds of images and videos taken without consent including footage from:
- Bathrooms inside private residences;
- A family locker room and shower area at the Floyd County YMCA;
- Video showing both adults and minors in states of undress.
Court filings state that some of the recording devices were hidden and disguised as everyday objects — including USB charging blocks, reportedly purchased online.
Hidden Camera in Restaurant Restroom – Waco, Texas
In Waco, Texas, Andrew Ray Vasquez, a former manager at Andy’s Frozen Custard, has been charged with multiple counts related to secretly recording customers in a restroom. The case highlights the severe legal and personal consequences of hidden surveillance in private spaces.
According to court records and police affidavits, Vasquez is accused of placing a covert recording device inside the customer restroom in Waco. Officers were called to the location after a customer discovered what appeared to be a key fob-style device hidden in the restroom and pointed directly toward the toilet area.
When examined by police, the device — encased in a rubber PVC cover — was found to contain an SD card and lights suggesting it was capable of recording video. Law enforcement officers later interviewed Vasquez who allege that Vasquez initially told police he placed the device in the restroom to record himself and insisted he had no intention of capturing anyone else. However, available information indicated that detectives later discovered video files on Vasquez’s personal computer showing him installing the camera in the restroom, and footage that included several people recorded without their knowledge or consent.
Hidden Cameras in Porta-Potties – Des Moines, Iowa
Authorities in Iowa charged Tyler Boyd Pavlick of Des Moines with a series of disturbing offenses after hidden recording devices were discovered in portable toilets at public events. The case has drawn widespread concern as investigators work to identify potentially dozens of victims and address the serious privacy and exploitation issues involved.
Police were initially called to the Harvest & Handmade festival held at Water Works Park in Des Moines after staff found what appeared to be a hidden camera inside the bowl of a portable toilet. Investigators determined that the device had recorded individuals entering and using the restroom — including adults and minors — during the event.
Subsequently, detectives linked the device to additional similar incidents, including a separate hidden camera found at a high school cross-country meet in Marshall County.
Pavlick faces numerous state and federal counts related to his alleged conduct including:
- Sexual exploitation of a minor
- Invasion of privacy
- Child Exploitation
- Possession of child sexual abuse material
Investigators believe he installed cameras in more than one porta-potty, capturing footage for hours before the devices were discovered by event attendees or staff. In Polk County alone, police reported recordings of dozens of individuals, and local authorities have actively sought help from the community to identify all victims.
As the case has progressed, local police and sheriff’s offices have emphasized that identifying all victims remains a priority. Authorities estimated that 40 to 50 people may have been recorded by one of the hidden cameras before it was detected, and they continue to encourage anyone who attended the events and believes that they may have been filmed to contact investigators.
Secret Recordings of Children at School – South Wales, New York
A disturbing criminal case out of South Wales, New York has drawn national attention after federal prosecutors secured a prison sentence against Matthew Fisher for producing child pornography by secretly recording minors using hidden cameras while employed at The Gow School, a private boarding school that serves students with dyslexia and related learning differences
Fisher lived on the school’s campus and had access to residential dormitories where students lived and attended classes. According to available information, investigators discovered that Fisher installed a system of hidden cameras in various locations — including clocks, wall outlets, and other fixtures — with the intent of secretly recording children in private areas such as bedrooms and bathrooms on campus.
The covert cameras reportedly recorded multiple male students, some as young as 12 years old, engaged in sexually explicit conduct without their knowledge or consent over a period of approximately five years before his arrest.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force alongside local law enforcement agencies and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York under Project Safe Childhood
Secret Recordings in Pizzeria Washroom – Portsmouth, Rhode Island
In a disturbing incident that has raised serious privacy concerns in the Portsmouth community, Michael Boone, a North End Pizzeria manager, was arrested and charged after police said he recorded employees in a restroom using a hidden camera.
The investigation began when an employee reported noticing a mobile phone placed inside the employee restroom in a way that suggested it was recording video. Responding officers launched an investigation and, with witness accounts and surveillance information, linked the hidden recording device to a manager at the restaurant.
Police recovered a cellphone similar to the description of the hidden camera previously reported by the employee and allegedly containing incriminating digital evidence. Boone also allegedly admitted to positioning the hidden camera and recording fellow employees without their consent.
Boone was arrested and faces multiple charges, including:
- Video voyeurism
- Unauthorized dissemination of indecent material
- Disorderly conduct
Residents expressed shock at the allegations, noting the unsettling nature of hidden cameras in private spaces and the breach of trust involved in having a colleague secretly record them.
Speak to an Attorney Who Knows About Hidden Cameras
These types of secret recordings illuminate just how deeply privacy violations can affect individuals and communities — particularly when they involve hidden cameras in places where people reasonably expect privacy. Incidents like this erode public trust, underscoring the importance of strict privacy protections in all public businesses.
The emotional impact and trauma of these violations, especially when victims were not aware they were being recorded, are often profound and long-lasting. In some circumstances, sexual abuse or sexual assault is also involved. Surviving any of these violations can lead to ongoing mental health challenges, trust issues, PTSD and a need for therapeutic support.
Whether the violations occurred at a place of employment, restaurant, public washroom, chiropractor’s office, spa, tanning salon, or other setting, victims who believe that they have been affected by recordings should consult with experienced legal counsel to understand their rights and explore potential civil remedies beyond the criminal case as strict time limits (statutes of limitation) may apply.
Sexner Injury Lawyers LLC has been helping those impacted by hidden cameras since 1990 and our experienced legal team has recovered over $30,000,000 for our deserving clients and their families. Our offices are open 24/7. Call us now for free, compassionate, confidential information at (312) 243-9922.
