JOHNSON COUNTY, Kan. — In the past week in the Kansas City area, at least two men have been found guilty or admitted to secretly recording up women's skirts in stores.
Experts said secret recordings are a growing problem, usually involving a cellphone. But there are other recording devices everyone should be aware of so they can make sure no one is violating their privacy.
Jason Covington with the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office said most would likely be surprised how often this is happening.
Cases where someone’s filming in public with something most people have:
“The more casual person who is following someone with a camera or a cellphone and directly filming them as they're close to their vicinity,” Covington said.
To the less obvious recording devices:
“We’ve seen cases where people are putting fixed cameras in homes, hotel rooms, in doctor’s offices, tanning beds, locker rooms, bathrooms,” said Covington.
Covington said the first line of defense against secret recordings is to understand what to look for.
Items like these are sold with hidden cameras:
- A flash drive
- A key fob
- An a/c adaptor
- Axe body wash bottle
- Shoes
- A toilet brush
The products he describes are available on mainstream websites like Amazon and eBay.
Covington said the best thing people can do is be vigilant, pay attention to surroundings, and watch out for others, too. He said some cases involve another woman witnessing what someone has done and speaking up.
“Taking action on behalf of others is just as important as being aware of your surroundings,” said Covington.
