Man Accused of Videotaping Roommate in the Nude

A 46-year-old East Naples man is accused of videotaping his unsuspecting female roommate naked in her bathroom as well as filming her while she had sex with her boyfriend, who also lived in the apartment.

The man faces 35 counts of voyeurism after Collier County sheriff’s investigators arrested him on Oct. 28.

The couple learned of the videos supposedly after a neighbor in an adjacent apartment found public files on his video gaming system that he believed depicted the couple. He apparently notified the couple who confirmed the footage was of them.

According to the Naples Daily News, all four units in the apartment building supposedly shared a wireless router, which is how the files were discovered.

During the Sheriff’s Office’s investigation, investigators allegedly found three holes in the woman’s bathroom, as well as three holes in the man’s room.

The couple allegedly told police they never gave the man permission to videotape them.

The accused made his first court appearance on Tuesday where a judge tripled his bail to $105,000. He is scheduled to appear before a judge again on Nov. 23.

The state of Florida’s video voyeurism statute, written in 2004, makes filming or photographing unsuspicious adults in a state of undress a misdemeanor sex crime. However, any succeeding voyeurism charges can be upgraded to a third-degree felony. Since video voyeurism is considered a “sexually motivated” crime carrying serious potential penalties, it is absolutely necessary to contact a Florida Sex Crimes Defense Attorney to help combat any charges related to a misdemeanor or felony voyeurism charge.

State prosecutors must prove the following elements beyond a reasonable doubt to obtain a conviction for any criminal voyeurism charges:

1. The accused surreptitiously observed, photographed, filmed, videotaped, or recorded the victim
2. The act was carried out with a lewd, lascivious, or indecent intent
3. The victim was viewed, photographed, filmed, videotaped, or recorded, in a dwelling, structure, or conveyance that honored a reasonable expectation of privacy

A misdemeanor voyeurism conviction is punishable by up to a maximum of one year in jail and a fine of no more than $1,000. A felony voyeurism conviction carries consequences of imprisonment for up to five years and a maximum fine of $5,000.

If you have been arrested for a misdemeanor or felony voyeurism charge in Florida, contact the Florida Sex Crimes Defense Attorneys at Whittel & Melton online or call us statewide and toll-free at 866-608-5529.