A University of Florida veterinary professor was arrested Friday afternoon after he allegedly used a camera pen to secretly record images of his female student’s bodies on campus.
The man is accused of capturing cleavage shots as well as filming up the skirts of female students in his classes using the covert camera pen.
The police were called earlier this month after a student noticed he was filming her.
When arrested on Friday, the 65-year-old professor allegedly told police he only videotaped the women to prove that they were dressing inappropriately by not wearing underwear.
Police obtained a search warrant to look through the man’s office and seized the camera pen’s hard drive which apparently contained pornographic images and other videos of women who worked in his lab.
According to a police report, he later confessed to the allegations, saying he filmed the women for his own “amusement, entertainment, sexual arousal or gratification.”
He is accused of filming his students between April and August of this year.
A UF spokeswoman confirmed that the man has been placed on administrative leave. He could possibly be terminated from his tenured position.
The professor now faces two counts of video voyeurism of a person 19 year old or older. He was bonded out of Alachua County Jail on Friday night, according to reports.
Video voyeurism is the act of secretly filming someone while they are in the act of dressing, undressing or privately exposing their body in a location where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy. Voyeurism is classified as a sex crime in the state of Florida and prosecutors take these charges quite seriously. In fact, just last year a new law was enacted to strengthen video voyeurism laws. The penalty for video voyeurism was upgraded from a first-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony for anyone older than 18. With that said, if you are facing video voyeurism charges in Gainesville, you should act fast and contact an Alachua County Sex Crimes Defense Lawyer at Whittel & Melton.
Do not take voyeurism charges lightly. The mere allegation of voyeurism can affect your reputation before you even get to tell your version of the story. Failing to take these charges seriously can be a huge mistake that could ultimately cost you your freedom. A voyeurism conviction carries consequences of up to five years in prison and $5,000 in fines.
If you or someone you love is facing voyeurism charges in Alachua, Bradford, Levy, Columbia, Union or Lafayette County, please contact an Alachua County Sex Crimes Defense Attorney at Whittel & Melton today online or call 352-264-7800. Your initial consultation with us is always free and we can begin building you a powerful defense against these charges right away.