Man Faces Jail For Taping Teens With Hidden Camera

Date: 25/03/2005
Source: ABC7
Author: -

A Contra Costa County man will spend two months in jail for videotaping teenage girls secretly in his homes.

But both the victims and their parents say the punishment is far too lenient. They want California to strengthen laws against the production and possession of child pornography.

When 16-year-old Tanya Wilson began taking her clothes off to take a shower at her uncle's Oakley home last May, she thought she was alone. But later she learned Uncle Michael had videotaped her trips to the bathroom, even nude in the shower.

ABC7: "What was your first reaction?"

Tanya Wilson, victim: "Shock, angry. I feel violated."

There's just a little pinpoint right there which is the camera. Prosecutors say Tanya's Uncle Michael Iban installed two hidden cameras in his bathroom -- one in a clock radio and another in a smoke detector.

He then recorded what those cameras captured by wireless remote in another room.

Tanya wasn't the only teenager caught on Iban's camera. So were her half sister and a family friend, Echo Knapp.

Echo Knapp, victim: "It's pretty much a down-view. Like there's one camera up above and one down low so he can get our lower area and he can pretty much view like everything."

Police also found child pornography on Iban's home computer.

Iban, who refused to comment to ABC7, pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors.

Besides 60 days in jail and four years probation, Iban must register as a sex offender.

In California, secret tapings and possessing child porn are not felonies.

Tanya's father thinks California law is too lax when it comes to situations like this.

Steven Wilson, victim's father: "If you care about your children you need to call your legislature and tell them, 'hey-this isn't right, you need to change the law.'"

Dodie Katague, Contra Costa prosecutor: "We have gone to the legislature every year trying to get them to either elevate it to a felony or give prosecutors a chance to charge as either a misdemeanor or a felony and it hasn't happened."

This article may be reproduced as long as the source Footprint Home Security is provided as a link.

Back to Free Expert Advice

Back to Footprint Home Security