A Missouri respiratory therapist admitted to secretly recording his female colleagues in a hospital restroom using a hidden camera disguised as a pen. The disturbing case came to light when a charge nurse at the hospital noticed an unusual pen placed on a plastic storage tote facing the toilet while she was using the restroom.
Initially assuming it was just an ordinary pen, she became suspicious and examined it more closely, discovering a hidden camera lens. Upon taking the pen apart, she found a SIM card inside. The nurse immediately reported the device to hospital security, who contacted the police.
Law enforcement officers reviewed the SIM card and discovered two video files recorded earlier that day. One clip showed a hand adjusting the camera to ensure it was directed at the toilet, while the other captured a woman pulling down her pants and sitting down.
Further investigation led authorities to review security footage from the hospital, specifically monitoring the employee locker room area in the emergency department, where the restroom was located. Surveillance footage showed a man, later identified as the suspect, entering and exiting the restroom multiple times while dressed in blue-green scrubs. The suspect was typically assigned to a different area of the hospital and had no assigned locker in that section, making his presence unusual. Key card access records revealed that he had entered the area 15 times during his shift. When questioned, he claimed he had food poisoning and needed frequent restroom breaks.
Despite his denial of purchasing or owning such a recording device, forensic experts extracted additional videos from the SIM card. The recovered footage revealed seven more victims and showed the suspect positioning the pen in the restroom multiple times. Some clips even captured his name badge, further linking him to the crime.
The hospital issued a statement acknowledging the guilty plea and expressing support for the prosecution. They also urged the judge to impose the maximum penalties allowed by law.
Following the discovery of his actions, the suspect was terminated from his position at the hospital. However, he later secured employment at another medical facility.
Now facing serious legal consequences, he could be sentenced to up to four years in prison and fined $10,000 when he appears in court for sentencing.
