Clerk Accused Of Filming Nearly 70 Men Using Restroom At Long Beach Police Station
LONG BEACH (CBSLA) -- A former police clerk is accused of filming nearly 70 of his male colleagues using the restroom without their knowledge, authorities said.
And where did this brazen act allegedly take place? A second-floor bathroom inside the headquarters of the Long Beach Police Department.
KCAL9's Tom Wait says the 28-year-old ex-employee -- identified as Sergio Nieto -- was in possession of about 115 tapes in all.
Nieto has been charged with 115 misdemeanor counts of invasion of privacy. The formal complaint lists 69 victims.
The videos show the men dressing and using the facilities.
Officials say Nieto filmed the men using a cellphone over a three-month period while he was in the bathroom with them.
Part of Nieto's job as a clerk was reportedly to review accidentally-recorded body cam footage filmed in places like bathrooms.
RELATED LINK: Long Beach Police Clerk Accused Of Videotaping Employees In Men's Restroom
Nieto was first arrested and accused of filming his co-workers last July but the full scope of his alleged crimes is only now coming to light.
Officials said while they identified 69 victims -- some of the men could not be identified and several others chose not to be part of the case against Nieto.
Legal analyst Alexandra Kazarian told Wait the case could come with stiff penalties.
"It's all misdemeanor conduct. So even though it sounds really creepy and sounds like an invasion of privacy it's a very low level invasion of privacy but misdemeanor counts can be stacked. So if it's the same victim at different times than each time, that six months can be stacked."
The Long Beach Post reported that some of Nieto's victims include the department's top brass.
Police said the case came to light when one of Nieto's co-workers allegedly observed him acting suspiciously in the restroom and reported him.
He is currently free on a $25,000 bail.
