College Student Arrested For Recording Women On iPhone In Maryland Bathroom
RISING SUN, Md. (WJZ) -- Police in Delaware said a college student arrested for recording women in bathrooms, did not commit these crimes in Rehoboth Beach.
Chester County, Pa authorities said 24-year-old West Chester University musical theater student Joshua Yannuzzi recording women in bathrooms in Maryland, Pennslyvania and Delaware.
"In a press release dated October 30th, 2018, announcing the arrest of Joshua Yannuzzi, the Chester County District Attorney's Office made a statement that Yannuzzi recorded women in various states of nudity in "multiple residences in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware."
As a result of this statement, the Rehoboth Beach Police Department received multiple phone calls from concerned parties including member of the media. An investigator immediately established contact with the Chester County Detectives in order to determine the details of these offenses.
Recently, the Rehoboth Beach Police Department was notified by the Chester County Detectives that the crimes committed by Joshua Yannuzzi DID NOT occurred in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware."
Original Post, Oct. 30, 11:33 a.m.: A 24-year-old college student from Pennsylvania was arrested and charged by authorities in Chester County for recording women in public restrooms -- some which were in Maryland and Delaware.
According to the Chester County District Attorney's Office, West Chester University musical theater student Joshua Yannuzzi allegedly used a phone to record women in bathrooms across three states -- including at The Street Lamp Productions Theater in Rising Sun, Maryland and multiple residences in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
In addition, Yannuzzi is accused of recording women in three other Pennsylvania theaters in West Chester, Berwyn, Reading and three other residences in West, Chester, Reading and Philadelphia.
RELATED: West Chester University Student Charged With Recording Women In Public Bathrooms On Campus
"This defendant was a technological predator. Using his ties in the theater community, he specifically targeted certain young women for hidden recordings in private places, all for his own sexual gratification. The victims, the victims' friends and family, and the entire theater community have been betrayed," Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan said.
Authorities said they have more than 20 female victims identified and many others who remain unidentified.
Yannuzzi, of Honey Brook, Pa., was charged with felony wire-tap violations, criminal use of a communication facility, invasion of privacy, and other offenses.
He was scheduled to perform in the university's production of "My Fair Lady" in November.
According to the state's attorney, a woman found an iPhone taped inside a single-person bathroom on Oct. 10 at the O.E. Bull Center on West Chester University's campus. She turned the phone over to police.
RELATED: Authorities Investigating After Cellphone Found Taped Under Sink In West Chester University Bathroom
Police found Yannuzzi outside the bathroom and surveillance showed him entering the bathroom before the woman went inside and then checking the bathroom after she left.
A search warrant executed and the contents of the phone were examined. Police investigated the suspect, searching Yannuzzi's social media accounts and analyzing video recordings.
Police said Yannuzzi, an active member of the theater community, targeted young women he knew. He would hide his iPhone inside a bathroom and record women in various states of nudity. He did this for his own sexual gratification.
According to police, he did this at least 50 times in the last two years.
Police said he used a commercially-available app called The Spy Camera and then posted at least one of the recordings on a website called www.thisvid.com.
"We need other victims to come forward and help us prosecute this defendant. Anybody who had contact with Josh Yannuzzi in theater productions or living arrangements is a potential victim. Victims can contact the Chester County Detectives and confidentially review recordings possibly related to them to determine if they were illegally recorded," Hogan said.
Anybody with information about the defendant should contact Chester County Detective Robert Balchunis at (610) 344-6866.
A woman affiliated with the Rising Sun theater, who didn't want to be identified, said that there were no videos taken from the bathroom of that theater and that we should call the detective. We have called the detective and are waiting to hear back.
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This post was update on Nov. 5 at 3:54 p.m.