Man Arrested for Voyeurism in a Target Store

Last month, a man was caught attempting to use his cell phone to take pictures and videos up women’s skirts in a Target store. According to a report, the man caught the attention of the store’s loss prevention officers when he rushed into the store, immediately placed a bag of dog food on his cart and then headed for the women’s clothing department. Apparently, the man positioned his cell phone camera perfectly under the bag of dog food so that when he wheeled the cart under a rack of women’s clothing, he could record up their skirts. Reports suggest that the mas was asked to leave by store employees and did so. However, authorities were called in and the man was arrested shortly thereafter.

Voyeurism is a crime in Florida, and is taken seriously by police and prosecutors. While most of the time people do have the right to film what occurs in public, that is not always the case. In the context of video voyeurism, the law states that someone may not record another person without their knowledge if the person recording has some kind of sexual intent, or is doing it for profit. The exact bounds of the law are fairly vague, but the spirit of the law bans the recording of a person without their knowledge.

Although you may not hear about it as often as you do other crimes, if convicted of voyeurism you may face stiff penalties. In fact, it is either a first-degree misdemeanor (if the person allegedly record ins under the age of 19) or a third-degree felony (if they are over the age of 19).

In Florida, a third-degree felony is punishable as:

• A fine up to $5,000; and
• A jail sentence of up to 5 years.

Keep in mind that this is just for a first offense. If a person has been convicted of a similar crime in the past, the punishment escalates to a second-degree felony which is punishable as:

• A fine up to $10,000; and
• A jail sentence of up to 15 years.

There are also enhancements to a second-degree felony if the voyeurism is of a child in which the defendant has custody.

Although it may not seem as serious as some other violent crimes, voyeurism is not scoffed at in Florida. Residents can have their lives turned upside down by a conviction. If you have been charged with voyeurism, you need to ensure that you have an experienced Florida criminal defense attorney at your side to make sure that you are not taken advantage of by the police and prosecutor.

The attorneys at Hanlon Law are zealous, results-oriented and client focused. They can work with you on your case to see what kind of alternatives there might be to a conviction at trial. Contact the attorneys at Hanlon Law today for a confidential consultation.