Hidden camera cases continue to make headlines across the country, and the past few weeks alone have brought several new examples that show just how often this crime occurs in places where victims should feel safe. From a beach lifeguard headquarters in California to a small-town salon in Iowa, these cases prove that hidden camera victims can be found anywhere, and that the person responsible is often someone in a position of trust, such as a supervisor, a contractor, or a coworker.
The information below is based on publicly available news reports, law enforcement statements, and court filings. Information may be incomplete or subject to change, and all individuals named below are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Recent Hidden Camera Cases Making News Across the Country
Bolsa Chica State Beach Lifeguard Headquarters — Huntington Beach, California
A former California State Parks superintendent, Kevin Pearsall, 59, of Long Beach, has been charged with 31 criminal counts after the Orange County District Attorney’s Office accused him of secretly filming nearly two dozen lifeguards and other state employees inside the men’s locker room at the Bolsa Chica State Beach Lifeguard Headquarters. Investigators say Pearsall planted hidden cameras that recorded both audio and video for nearly a year, capturing 23 different victims in various states of undress without their knowledge or consent. He is also accused of sending nude images of several victims to other people and making inappropriate comments about his employees’ bodies.
The scheme came to light only after a state parks officer found a USB storage device containing the hidden camera footage inside the locker room. At least one victim has already filed a civil sexual harassment lawsuit in Orange County, and additional victims may have similar legal claims of their own, both against Pearsall individually and potentially against California State Parks for failing to protect its employees.
Hidden Restroom Cameras at Youth Sporting Events — Metro Atlanta, Georgia
The FBI’s Atlanta Field Office is asking the public for help identifying potential victims after agents uncovered a series of secretly recorded videos taken inside public restrooms at youth sporting events, parks, and grocery stores across Gwinnett, Jackson, and Oconee counties in Georgia. According to federal investigators, the recordings span from February 2024 through March 2026 and primarily targeted young boys. The suspect, a freelance photographer who has not yet been publicly named, was identified only after agents seized his devices in connection with an unrelated federal investigation and discovered the hidden camera footage on those devices.
Because the recordings were made secretly inside public restrooms, many victims may not yet know that they were filmed. Cases like this one often involve both a criminal prosecution by the government and a separate civil lawsuit for sexual exploitation against the person responsible, and sometimes against any business, school, or organization that failed to take reasonable steps to secure its restrooms.
Hidden Camera in a Tanning Room — Albia, Iowa
In southeast Iowa, a 49-year-old contractor and handyman named Kevin Zaputil has been charged with stalking and three counts of invasion of privacy after a hidden camera, disguised as an electrical outlet, was discovered inside the tanning bed area of Just Teasin’ Hair Salon in Albia. According to the Albia Police Department, Zaputil served as the salon’s primary contractor and had access to the building through a master key. He reportedly admitted to installing the camera in 2023 and monitoring the recordings until the device was discovered this year.
Albia Police Chief Nathan Pritchard told reporters that the tanning room was privately owned and used by only a small number of regular clients, none of whom consented to being filmed. Investigators are now working to determine whether Zaputil may have installed similar devices at other businesses where he performed contracting work. As discussed in our related article, Hidden Cameras in Spas, Salons, and Tanning Businesses, contractors and maintenance workers with legitimate building access are, unfortunately, often the people responsible for installing these devices.
What These Cases Have in Common
Although these three cases happened in different states and involved very different victims, they share several troubling similarities. In each case, the person responsible held a position that gave them legitimate access to the space where the camera was hidden, whether as a supervisor, a contractor, or simply a member of the public. In each case, the victims had no reason to suspect that they were being watched and discovered what happened only by chance, when someone found the device or the storage media used to save the footage. And in each case, the harm extends well beyond whatever criminal charges may be filed, since victims of hidden camera recordings often experience lasting anxiety, trauma, embarrassment, and a profound loss of trust.
Your Legal Options If You Were Secretly Recorded
Victims of hidden camera recordings are not limited to whatever happens in the criminal case against the person who filmed them. In most states, victims also have the right to pursue a separate civil lawsuit seeking monetary compensation. Depending on the facts of your case, a civil claim may allow you to recover damages for:
- Emotional distress, anxiety, and trauma caused by the recording
- Therapy, counseling, and other related medical expenses
- Lost wages, if the trauma affected your ability to work
- Punitive damages, in cases involving particularly egregious conduct
It is also important to remember that a civil lawsuit may sometimes be filed not only against the individual who installed the camera, but also against the business, employer, or property owner that failed to take reasonable steps to prevent the recording from happening in the first place. Because strict time limits often apply to these claims, it is important to speak with an experienced attorney as soon as possible after learning that you may have been recorded.
Speak With an Experienced Hidden Camera Attorney
Since 1990, Sexner Injury Lawyers LLC has represented victims across the country in hidden camera cases, recovering over $30,000,000 for our clients and their families. If you believe that you may have been secretly recorded in a locker room, restroom, salon, or any other place where you reasonably expected privacy, our legal team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to discuss your legal options in a free, confidential, and compassionate conversation. Contact our office or call us now at (312) 243-9922.
