KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Just one day after a judge sentenced a man for secretly recording women in dressing rooms, that same man may have committed a similar crime.
Anthony DeLapp, 33, was booked into the Johnson County Detention Center around 6 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant for breach of privacy.
DeLapp was previously charged with one count of breach of privacy for secretly taking photos of two people at a Forever 21 store at Oak Park Mall in 2017.
He pleaded guilty last week to the charge as part of a plea agreement that resulted in him serving no jail time.
DeLapp made a remorseful apology in court in May, saying, "I would like to first address the ladies who were the victims of the terrible decision I made. You should never have to be victims of such a selfish act and I’m truly sorry for any pain that I caused you. Just know that because of your courage I will never do anything like this again."
As part of the plea agreement, he was sentenced to 18 months probation and was to undergo sex offenders treatment. DeLapp is banned from Oak Park Mall and isn't allowed to have contact with the victims or their families.
"One of the most troubling aspects of sex offenses is, in many instances, they’re hard to treat and hard to cure from that type of behavior," Steve Howe, Johnson County District Attorney said.
Olathe police say on May 31 DeLapp used a camera to record or take pictures of a 15-year-old girl in a dressing room at the Target on 119th St.
The dressing room's walls go to the floor and are at least nine feet tall, so it would have taken DeLapp some effort to get the pictures.
Emily was in the courtroom on Wednesday to see DeLapp arraigned for the new charge. She is one of his victims from 2017.
"He can’t be out on the streets again. He’s just going to keep doing it again and again at different malls to different females until he gets caught again. And then he’s so sorry. It’s just a cycle. I don’t know that it can be broken and I think it’s best for him to stay behind bars," Emily said.
She noticed a camera on the floor of a Forever 21 dressing room right next to hers. DeLapp put his cell phone camera side up on some folded jeans. Emily said she realized something wasn't right when she saw him reach down and adjust the angle.
She says she feels for the girl who now has to go through what she did.
"I would love to reach out to her. I know that's probably not possible, but just talk to her and tell her my experience, what's gone down, what she can do," Emily said.
Howe said it's difficult for the courts and prosecution to predict human behavior, so it's hard to determine when to give someone probation and when to put them in jail.
"The individuals who start with that type of behavior then elevate to commit more serious sex offenses and you see that as a consistent pattern, so that's what concerns us," Howe said.
At the arraignment Wednesday, DeLapp asked the judge to reduce the bond from $50,000 to $25,000 because he has a wife and three kids who depend on him.
The judge denied it.
Back in May, DeLapp brought up his kids in court.
"To the parents and families, I can only imagine the way you have felt throughout this whole process. I have a daughter too, and cannot imagine how it would feel if they were the victim of something like this," DeLapp said.
Emily said keeping up with the court process empowers her.
"That’s how I get my justice, just seeing him here begging for adjustments," Emily said.
DeLapp will be back in court June 13 at 9 a.m.
Breach of privacy is a level-eight felony that carries a maximum sentence of three years.
