Spy-cam shocks victim’s mother

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This article was published 13/03/2012 (5135 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The mother of a city swim teacher caught on video by a tiny hidden camera says she’d like to see enhanced security in staff change rooms.

Police are investigating the circumstances around the camera, which is designed to look like a pen and was hidden in a feminine hygiene disposal box when the woman spotted it on Saturday.

The washroom is located in a women’s staff change room at the Seven Oaks Pool.

There was a subsequent search done of pool change rooms to look for any devices, and none was found.

"It was shocking, very shocking for all of us," said the woman’s mother.

A representative with the City of Winnipeg contacted the swim teacher on Monday.

"Our staff had direct communication with the individual by phone, offering support to deal with the situation. The individual informed us about still being distraught, possibly needing support in the future," city spokesman Steve West said in an email.

Const. Natalie Aitken of the Winnipeg Police Service said the case is unusual and the person or persons responsible for setting up the spy-cam could face criminal charges.

"This is not a typical occurrence. We haven’t seen a large number of these cases," said Aitken. "This is something that we take seriously."

The city said washrooms for staff at the pool "can only be accessed through a locked door" and "washrooms/change rooms are inspected by staff on a regular, frequent basis."

City councillor Paula Havixbeck (Charleswood-Tuxedo), chairwoman of the protection committee, said she’d like to see more random sweeps of the areas.

"This happened at a pool, but how many times do we have kids or adults changing in hockey arenas, recreation centres?" she said. "… this goes a little further, I think, and so I’d like to see some more deliberate effort into the safety.

"Technology is everywhere… so I’d like to stay right on top of this and make sure that we’re doing everything we can and that we learn from this and learn how to go forward."

According to city guidelines, it is forbidden to use items that take photographs — such as cameras, video cameras and camera cellphones — in change rooms and locker-rooms in Winnipeg recreation facilities and community centres. The city reinforces that message with posters, in French and English, in all change rooms.

Some local cases of voyeurism have hit the news, including a situation in 2009 when a man was caught watching a woman inside a tanning room. The 20-year-old woman saw him and screamed for help, causing him to flee. The man was later arrested and charged.

That same year, a woman who owns a gas station on the outskirts of Winnipeg looked up at the ceiling tiles in one of the washrooms and found two cameras.

It led to a co-worker being charged and sentenced to two years supervised probation for voyeurism.

"You can’t protect yourself from that, I guess, because what are you going to do, jump on toilets and look in air vents before you go to the bathroom?" said the woman. "I just felt violated."

gabrielle.giroday@freepress.mb.ca

 

Tech-savvy voyeurs stealing away privacy

THE furor over a hidden camera discovered in a Winnipeg swimming pool’s staff change room underscores a growing underworld of tech-savvy voyeurs.

In fact, there is at least one entire online message board dedicated to sharing tips on how to get the most salacious images with tiny cameras hidden in bags, pens and shoes. And across North America, newspapers are littered with stories of perpetrators — from personal trainers to restaurant workers — being convicted of spying on people in intimate spaces with hidden cameras.

The tiny cameras can be concealed as any number of mundane objects and are sold online for between $100 and $200.

The Criminal Code of Canada prohibits secretly observing or recording for sexual purposes people in situations where they would normally expect privacy, when they are nude or engaged in sexual activity, or when they’re in a space where they would be expected to be, such as a change room or bedroom.

But there is also technology out there to combat the rise in illegal hidden cameras: Although they can be pricey, a number of manufacturers now sell hidden-camera detectors that purport to alert their owner to the presence of a hidden camera in any room, whether they be on or off.

The devices can range from $100 to $350.

— Melissa Martin