An Arizona pastor has been indicted after allegedly using a secret camera to record women in the bathroom of his church.
Arturo Laguna, a faith leader at the Casa de Adoracion – in Phoenix – was taken into custody on November 6. He was accused of installing the recording device in the bathroom in October. A grand jury indicted him on the charges this month and he is scheduled to return to court this week.
According to a police report, obtained by Fox 10, the camera was found by a woman after it fell out of a dryer in the bathroom where she was changing her baby’s diaper.
Detectives later obtained a screenshot showing Laguna fixing the camera in the bathroom. He later admitted to installing the device in October.
During a search of the camera’s SD card, officers found four short videos of adult females using the bathroom, Fox 10 reported.
Laguna has been charged with multiple counts of voyeurism, a felony in Arizona.
The charges stem from invading someone’s privacy by recording or photographing without their permission for sexual stimulation. Sentences can stretch up to a couple of years in prison.
Laguna leads a largely immigrant church of about 100 followers in Phoenix and previously gave an interview to the Associated Press in the run-up to the presidential cycle. The interview in which he discussed the impact of the Latino vote on the state, was conducted in October.
Laguna remains in custody ahead of his next court date, which is scheduled for January 8.
The Independent has contacted Phoenix police for more information on the case.
