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Man uses hidden camera to spy on girls in bathroom of Indian River Shores home, police say

Lennon Starkweather arrested on video voyeurism charges
Posted at 1:57 PM, Jun 03, 2020
and last updated 2020-06-03 19:36:57-04

INDIAN RIVER SHORES, Fla. — A man who was hired to install a security system at an Indian River Shores home was arrested last week after he set up a hidden camera in the bathroom to spy on two girls, police said.

Lennon Starkweather, 37, of Vero Beach, faces two counts of video voyeurism.

According to a probable cause affidavit, the homeowner was hosting his extended family for the Memorial Day weekend when his granddaughter and her friend found the hidden camera in the bathroom that they shared.

"Each one of them thought it was the other's and, after talking, realized it didn't belong to either one of them," Indian River Shores police Detective Kyle Smith told WPTV NewsChannel 5.

The girls told their parents, who then notified deputies.

According to the affidavit, the homeowner told detectives he believed Starkweather was the only person with the "know how" to install such a device.

RELATED: Detectives catch Florida bathroom voyeur in child porn investigation

So detectives decided to catch Starkweather at his own game, re-installing the hidden camera in the hopes of catching him in the act.

"The location of the device, there's no question what you'd be able to see," Smith said.

Hidden camera found in Indian River Shores home
A hidden camera like the one seen here was found in the bathroom of an Indian River Shores home.

Starkweather returned to the home May 27 and went straight to the bathroom, where he removed the camera from the wall outlet. Little did he know that detectives were waiting for him in another room and took him into custody.

"The defendant came into the room, went right to the bathroom, went right to the device and that's how we identified him," Smith said.

Detectives said they found "numerous nude photos" of the girls on a SIM card that was removed from the camera.

Starkweather has since been released on bond, but Smith said more than a dozen residents have called police concerned that Starkweather had been in their home as well.

"You're very comfortable, so the fear is that comfort being taken away and being violated," Smith said.