An employee at the Upper Palmetto YMCA, Rock Hill, SC, has been arrested and charged with aggravated voyeurism after allegedly hiding a video camera in the women's locker room.
Footage on the camera found at the Y's Lake Wylie branch dated back to May and included a recording of 58-year-old John Ross Eddy placing the camera in the locker room, according to the York County (SC) Sheriff's Office. Eddy, who worked as a custodian at the facility, was arrested by deputies last Wednesday.
Trent Faris, the public information officer for the York County Sheriff's Office, told TV station WCNC that the camera was discovered earlier that day when a Y member knocked it off the counter and turned it in to a staff member without knowing what it was.
According to posts made by members on the Upper Palmetto Y's Facebook page, Y members were not informed that the camera had been found. One woman said that she had used the locker room with her children several times in the last few months and was "very angry about this lack of communication with members." Another member asked what had been done with the footage.
The Y has not publically responded to the posts but issued the following statement to Club Industry:
"A photo device was found in a locker room at our Lake Wylie Branch. We immediately contacted the York County Sheriff's Office. Initial reports show that there are no photos on the device found. The Sheriff is continuing to investigate. We will act in full support of the Sheriff's investigation."
The Y declined to provide further comments.