Pompano Beach man accused of installing hidden cameras in YouFit Gym bathrooms
FORT LAUDERDALE - A Pompano Beach man is accused of installing hidden cameras in the bathrooms of several YouFit Gym locations.
On September 12, a manager at a YouFit Gym in Deerfield Beach contacted the Broward Sheriff's Office after a hidden camera was found mounted under the sink in the men's handicapped-accessible bathroom stall.
The camera was found after a regional manager urged all facilities to search for hidden cameras their in bathrooms after one was found under a sink in a men's handicap stall facing the toilet at another location.
In addition to the Deerfield Beach location, hidden cameras were in men's handicapped-accessible stalls in Boynton Beach and Davie.
Investigators counted approximately 128 victims stemming from the Boynton Beach camera, including people between the ages of 13 and 17 years old. Sixteen of them wanted to press charges, the affidavit stated, pointing out that one of those victims was only 16 years old.
When sheriff's investigators contacted Boynton Beach police detectives about the camera, they were told that a man named "Santiago Lopez" was a YouFit Gym member and had visited the different gyms where the hidden cameras were found within a two month period.
A search of the Deerfield Beach camera's memory cards revealed at least 50 male victims who were recorded without their consent, at least two appeared to be underage, according to the sheriff's office. They also reportedly found images of "Santiago Lopez" putting it in place.
Investigators were able to track down two of the males from the images and they confirmed they were recorded without their consent. When investigators showed photos of the man installing the cameras to witnesses, they verified that it was "Santiago Lopez."
Sheriff's investigators learned that "Santiago Lopez" was 30-year-old Bernardo Santiago Lopez and he lived in Pompano Beach.
He was arrested on November 3rd.
During questioning, he reportedly admitted to setting up cameras in several YouFit Gym, including the one in Deerfield Beach. He said "he was curious and liked to see men exposed," according to the arrest report.
Lopez was arrested and has been charged with two counts of video voyeurism. More charges may be forthcoming.